The Suspect Left Note Detailing Plan to assassinate Trump near his Florida golf course left a note months earlier declaring his intention to kill the former president, according to a newly filed court document. The note stated, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.”
The letter, revealed in documents submitted by prosecutors on Monday, had been dropped off at the home of an unnamed witness several months before the incident, which occurred on 15 September. Ryan Routh, 58, is facing federal gun charges and is expected to appear in court later on Monday, with the possibility of further charges being added.
Addressed to “The World,” the note appears to anticipate the failure of Routh’s assassination plan, reading: “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster.” He then offers a cash reward to anyone “who can complete the job.”
Prosecutors say a box containing the note, along with ammunition, tools, building materials, and four cell phones, was left at the witness’s home before the incident. The witness reportedly opened the box only after hearing about the assassination attempt.
Routh has been in custody since his arrest on 15 September. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh hiding in bushes near the sixth hole of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, noticing a rifle beside him. According to court filings, the agent fired his weapon after Routh allegedly made a move toward his rifle, though Routh did not return fire.
The suspect fled the scene, leaving the rifle and other items behind, but was arrested shortly after a witness spotted him near Interstate 95, a major highway. Investigators found that Routh had 11 rounds of ammunition, one loaded in the chamber of his rifle.
A handwritten list of Trump’s scheduled public appearances from August to October was also discovered in Routh’s vehicle. Phone records indicate that Routh had been near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for almost a month, from 18 August to 15 September.
Originally from North Carolina, Routh had lived in Hawaii before his arrest and had a long history of legal trouble, including multiple theft charges between 1997 and 2010. In 2022, Routh traveled to Ukraine in an unsuccessful attempt to recruit soldiers for the Ukrainian military during the Russian invasion. His efforts were dismissed by Ukrainian soldiers as “nonsensical” and “delusional.” Routh himself admitted that his recruitment bid was rejected due to his age and lack of combat experience.
Monday’s hearing will determine whether Routh should remain in custody, with prosecutors arguing that he poses a flight risk and a danger to the community. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for 30 September, where he will enter a plea to the charges.