Ryan Wesley Routh
Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, FL ·
Trump playing a round of golf
Latest update Wikipedia
Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida Target
Donald J. Trump
Perpetrator
Full name Ryan Wesley Routh
Age at time 58
Date of birth 1966-02-19
Gender Male
Race / ethnicity White
Nationality American
Residence Kaaawa, HI (formerly Greensboro, NC)
Education No post-secondary degree publicly documented
Occupation Roofing contractor / shed-builder in Hawaii; self-styled 'recruiter' for Ukraine's International Legion (the Legion publicly disowned any link to him)
Political affiliation Pivoted from Trump-2016 supporter to fierce critic; donated ≈20 times to ActBlue between Sep 2019 - Mar 2020 ($1-$25); voted in 2024 North Carolina Democratic primary
Mental health (reported) Family members and acquaintances described long history of erratic, delusional behaviour; no formal diagnosis publicly confirmed
Prior criminal record Yes
Prior weapons training Self-taught; long-time gun owner; convicted in 2002 of possessing a weapon of mass destruction after a three-hour standoff with police in Greensboro, NC
Online footprint Self-published a 2023 book 'Ukraine's Unwinnable War'; active on X/Twitter posting about Ukraine, Iran and Trump; mailed a 'Dear World' letter months before the attempt acknowledging he might fail
Family background Adult son Oran Routh publicly distanced family from his actions; Routh had been estranged from much of his family in years prior
Attempt & outcome
Weapons & equipment Norinco SKS-style rifle with scope; Loaded magazine (19 rounds) + 1 chambered; Steel armour plates; Mounted camera
Rounds fired - perpetrator 0
Rounds fired - law enforcement 4
Distance to target 366 m
Trump present Yes
Trump injured No
Bystander casualties 0 killed · 0 injured
Law-enforcement casualties 0 killed · 0 injured
Current status Convicted & sentenced
Sentence Life in prison plus 84 months (sentenced 2026-02-04)
Preparation Began planning February 2024 per court records; dropped off a letter at a witness's residence in April 2024; lay in wait in shrubbery along the course fence-line for nearly 12 hours before Trump's tee time
Motive
Self-described mission to prevent a second Trump presidency, citing Trump's stated positions on Ukraine and Iran; pre-positioned with rifle pointed through fence and was spotted before Trump came into his line of sight.
“Handwritten 'Dear World' note: 'This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.'”
Key facts
- Spotted by a Secret Service agent patrolling one hole ahead of Trump
- Fled by car after agent opened fire; arrested in Martin County, FL
- Convicted by jury September 23, 2025; sentenced February 4, 2026
- Had 100+ prior criminal counts in North Carolina including 2002 WMD conviction
- Falsely claimed Ukrainian Foreign Legion service; Legion stated he had never been part of, associated with, or linked to it