Man charged with attempted assassination of Donald Trump for alleged Florida golf course plot

A federal grand jury in Florida charged Ryan Wesley Routh on Tuesday with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump.

Routh, 58, allegedly camped outside the former president’s West Palm Beach golf course with a high-powered SKS-style assault rifle, waiting for Trump to pass by on September 15.

“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for, and the Department of Justice will use every available tool to hold Ryan Routh accountable for the attempted assassination of former President Trump charged in the indictment,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

The charge of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate carries a potential life sentence, according to The Washington Post.

The alleged plotter also faces three firearms-related charges and a charge of assaulting a federal officer.

The Independent has contacted Routh’s federal public defenders for comment.

Prosecutors say the Hawaii resident “stalked” Trump for over a month ahead of the attempted assassination, with cell phone data placing him near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence over the course of August and September.

Police investigating Routh discovered a handwritten list detailing Trump’s past and expected appearances at different venues between August and October, per the Department of Justice.

On September 15, a Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel poking through a fence at a spot a few hundred yards away from Trump and fired his gun, prompting Routh to allegedly flee.

Officials found a rifle with an “obliterated and unreadable” serial number at the scene, according to the DOJ, as well as bulletproof armor plates.

Routh was later arrested by Martin County Sheriff’s Office