PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh tried to source anti-aircraft missiles to target President Donald J. Trump’s aircraft last year.
👥 Who’s Involved: Ryan Routh, President Donald J. Trump, Ukraine, the Department of Justice (DOJ), an unnamed associate of Routh, Ukraine.
📍 Where & When: The attempt to acquire the weapons took place in August of last year, online.
💬 Key Quote: “Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine.” — Ryan Routh.
⚠️ Impact: The documents reveal the scope of Routh’s plans to take President Trump’s life and further connections between Routh and Ukraine.
IN FULL:
Newly released documents from the Department of Defence (DOJ) reveal that would-be assassin Ryan Routh tried to source a Stinger anti-aircraft missile from Ukraine to assassinate President Donald J. Trump last year. Routh made an attempt in August of last year, just a month after Thomas Matthew Crooks shot President Trump in Pennsylvania at a rally.
According to the DOJ, Routh was in contact with someone he believed had access to Ukrainian arms and had been talking of killing President Trump since July of last year. Routh allegedly told his associate, “Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine.”
Routh stated that such a weapon could be found in Ukraine, saying, “You are at war, so those items lost and destroyed daily – one missing would not be noticed.” Routh also sent a picture of President Trump’s private aircraft, likely his target.
It remains unclear where Routh would have found the money to purchase a Stinger missile, as some have noted that the costs could be in the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars.
Routh’s Ukraine connections have been well documented. He led an initiative attempting to recruit foreign mercenaries from countries like Afghanistan into the Ukrainian army. Ultimately, Routh tried to assassinate President Trump at a golf course in Palm Beach, Florida, in September of last year, but he was noticed before he could open fire.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted assassination. His trial has yet to begin.