Man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump tried to buy rocket launcher from Ukraine, DOJ says

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Apr 8, 2025

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The man charged with trying to kill President Trump, lying in wait with a gun as he enjoyed a round of golf in Florida, attempted to purchase a rocket launcher and other military-grade weapons before the thwarted assassination attempt, according to the Department of Justice.

Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested on Sept. 15 as he fled from his sniper’s perch at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. He was spotted hiding in some brush near the sixth hole by Secret Service agents conducting a perimeter sweep, according to the indictment. They opened fire when they realized Routh was armed with a SKS-type 7.62×39 caliber rifle.

Routh, who did not manage to fire off any shots himself, was captured a short time later as he traveled northbound on I-95. He is facing five criminal counts including attempted assassination and a weapons charge related to the semiautomatic rifle investigators found in the golf course shrubbery where the alleged would-be assassin had been hiding.

He has since pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Prior to the attack, prosecutors said Routh attempted “to acquire anti-aircraft weapons,” according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He specifically requested help from an unidentified contact in Ukraine during an exchange on an encrypted messaging platform, Newsweek reported.

“Send me an rpg [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger and I will see what we can do,” he allegedly wrote. “… (Trump) is not good for Ukraine.”

Routh also sent an image of Trump’s plane, writing that the president “gets on and off daily.” He went on to ask about the potential costs of the weapons and whether they could be “shipped.” Routh allegedly noted that, because Ukraine was at war, such items are “lost and destroyed daily” and that “one missing would not be noticed.”

“Attempting to purchase a destructive device to blow up President Trump’s airplane lies squarely within the realm of an attempt on his life,” the Department of Justice filing reads, “and Routh’s statements about the purpose of the purchase — that he ‘need(s) equipment so that Trump cannot get elected’ — drives home his intent.”

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