- Ryan Routh charged with attempted assassination of Trump
- He could face a life sentence if convicted
- It’s the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump in the matter of months
Ryan Routh charged with attempted assassination of Trump
US prosecutors have charged a man arrested near Donald Trump’s Florida golf course with the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. The new charge comes just a day after court documents revealed that Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, had written a note months earlier expressing his intent to kill Trump.
Routh was already facing up to 20 years in prison on two gun-related charges, but with this new and more serious accusation, he could now face a life sentence if convicted.
“Violence targeting public officials endangers everything our country stands for,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement, pledging to “use every available tool” to ensure Routh is held accountable.
Trump has criticised the government’s handling of the case, posting on social media that the justice department should “LET FLORIDA HANDLE THE CASE!” However, Garland dismissed that suggestion, stating on Tuesday that his department would work with state officials while following legal protocols.
In addition to the attempted assassination charge, an eight-page indictment unsealed on Tuesday also charges Routh with:
- possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence;
- possessing a firearm as a felon;
- possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number;
- assaulting a federal officer