The man who allegedly attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump Sunday afternoon on a golf course in Florida had a criminal record and a history of donating to Democrats.
Authorities arrested 58-year-old Ryan Routh after Secret Service noticed his AK-47 style rifle as he hid in some shrubbery at Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach.
When he was engaged by federal law enforcement officials, he ran and got into a car and drove off. Fortunately a witness got a photo of the car and the license plate, allowing police to quickly locate him and take him into custody.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records indicate that Routh donated exclusively to Democrats from 2019-2020 when he lived in Hawaii.
The small dollar donations, sent through the Democrats’ fundraising platform ActBlue, were earmarked for Democrat presidential candidates Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, and Elizabeth Warren.
voting records indicate he’s a 58-year old registered w/no party preference in North Carolina and previously lived in Hawaii. FEC records show some small contributions to the Tom Steyer, Andrew Yang, Elizabeth Warren, Tulsi Gabbard, and Beto O’Rourke 2020 presidential campaigns.… https://t.co/47S84keCU7 pic.twitter.com/DHOAVVRMq5
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) September 15, 2024
Routh reportedly had numerous run-ins with the law while living in North Carolina.
FOX8 WGHP reported that Routh’s criminal record dates back to 2002 when “he barricaded himself inside a business with a gun in Greensboro.”
NBC News reported that he was convicted of possessing weapon of mass destruction — in this case a fully automatic machine gun — in 2002. He likely would have been barred him from owning a firearm after the conviction.
“Records also show convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, possession of stolen property and hit-and-run,” the report said. “In those cases, which included misdemeanor convictions for violations such as resisting an officer and driving on a suspended license, the defendant received a suspended sentence and parole or probation.”
Routh was fanatically pro-Ukraine and reportedly worked to get to get volunteers signed up to go fight against the Russians.
