Alleged Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Touts Direct Connection to Thomas Matthew Crooks
Alleged would-be Donald Trump assassin Ryan Routh wrote in a letter to the news outlet Politico that he shared a trait with Butler shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Routh, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted assassination of Trump in September, argued in a letter sent to Politico writer Ankush Khardori before this month’s election, saying that he, like Crooks, was “ready to die for freedom and democracy.”
Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper after the would-be assassin opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, July 13, grazing the now president-elect in the ear, while killing one rally attendee and seriously wounding two others.
A Secret Service agent spotted Routh’s rifle protruding from the hedge line at a Florida golf course where Trump was playing on Sept. 15.
The agent opened fire on the suspect, who fled the scene but was quickly captured.
Routh, who claimed to be independent politically, wrote in his letter, “My entire life has been plagued by D’s and R’s. It seems not long ago there was a push for the libertarian party and now a green party and maybe Truth party. But for some reason our leaders have not allowed any other party [to] be recognized in any race.”
He explicitly disclaimed having an affiliation with the Democratic Party, recounting, “A guard [in] Palm Beach asked jokingly if I was a democrat — I said, ‘NO — Independent — I vote for the best candidate.’”
His pickup truck parked at his Hawaii home had a Biden-Harris bumper sticker on it, and he has made 19 donations to a Democratic political action committee since 2019, the New York Post reported.
Trump would-be assassin Ryan Routh has a Biden-Harris bumper sticker on his pickup truck and apparently donated entirely to Democrats (spreadsheet via @Techno_Fog, photo @nypost) pic.twitter.com/mWHCKLZiDC
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) September 16, 2024
Nonetheless, Routh’s letter criticized “the two ruling parties” and argued that “[w]ith our national debt swallowing us whole and bankruptcy imminent we may as well fix this problem balls out.”
The 58-year-old also wrote that in the event of a Trump victory, federal officials should “remove the power of our military by the President and place it with Congress before January.”
“We must limit all Presidential power before Trump seizes our country,” he added, referring to Trump at one point as a “dictator,” a term that mirrors Democratic talking points.
Routh sent a similar letter to The Palm Beach Post before the Nov. 5 election, as well.
The Palm Beach Post reported that Routh’s daughter authenticated the letter as being from her father, who sent it from the federal prison in Florida where he is being held.
Both Politico and the Palm Beach Post noted the handwriting for the letters looks the same as that included in a court document filed by the Justice Department.
In that letter, Routh wrote, “Dear World, This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
The Post reported, “In addition to the attempted assassination charge, Routh faces charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number and assaulting a federal officer. He has pleaded not guilty to each.”
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