The man who tried to kill Donald Trump on a Florida golf course left behind a note in which he admitted to the plot and offered a reward to someone who might “complete the job.”
Ryan Routh, 58, was scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday, and prosecutors included the note in a filing arguing for him to remain behind bars. In the note, Routh appeared to predict his own failure.
“Dear World, This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you,” Routh wrote. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
In this imaged released by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers arrest Ryan Routh, the man suspected in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Routh has been charged with two federal gun crimes, but authorities said he will likely face more charges.
Secret Service agents spotted Routh hiding in bushes on the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla, while the former president was playing the fifth hole on Sept. 15, according to the documents filed Monday. When an agent saw Routh’s SKS rifle move, he opened fire.
Routh fled before he could get any shots off, and he was captured shortly afterward. In his car, cops found a handwritten list of dates and locations where Trump would be appearing in August, September and October, the feds said.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at Harry Reid International Airport to board a plane after a campaign trip, Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The note had been placed in a box and dropped off at an unidentified person’s house months earlier, according to authorities. The person said they didn’t open Routh’s box until after he was arrested for the attempted assassination. Along with the note, it contained ammunition, a metal pipe, building materials, tools, phones and various letters.
Officers also found six phones in Routh’s car, the feds said. On one phone, he had searched the quickest way from Palm Beach County to Mexico.