A federal grand jury has indicted Ryan Wesley Routh for the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The charges stem from an incident that took place at Trump International Golf Course on September 15, when Routh was arrested after being spotted hiding in bushes near the golf course where Trump was playing.
In a press release on Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Routh had been indicted for the attempted assassination of Trump. This announcement follows prosecutors’ decision to seek an assassination attempt charge against Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate the former president.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated in a statement, “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.
Routh was apprehended the day after the incident and charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and with possession of a firearm that had an obliterated serial number. This came just a day after the DOJ released the contents of a letter they reportedly obtained through a witness, who claimed to have received the letter months ago in a box. In the letter allegedly written by Routh, he apologizes for failing to assassinate Trump and offers $150,000 to anyone able to successfully complete the task.
A federal judge ruled that Routh would be denied bail and remain detained until “the resolution of the charges.” Garland emphasized the DOJ’s commitment to combating violence against public officials, stating, “We will not tolerate violence that strikes at the heart of our democracy,” and pledging to “find and hold accountable those who perpetrate it.
This incident marks the second assassination attempt on Trump. On July 13, Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania from the rooftop of a nearby building where he had a direct line of sight of Trump.