Former President Donald Trump was subject to a second assassination attempt in 2024 on Sunday, September 16. 

The shooter, identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, hid in the bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, for approximately 12 hours. He was armed with a scoped rifle and came within several hundred yards of the former president. 

This comes after an attempt in July, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks killed an audience member and injured two people, including a member of the audience and Donald Trump. The motive in that incident is still under investigation, but it appears to have been a crime of convenience, as the shooter’s internet history includes searching for both Biden and Trump rallies in his area. 

Like the rally in July, the Secret Service is receiving scrutiny for their failure to protect the former President, mostly for the fact that the shooter remained in the Mar-a-Lago property for more than 12 hours and was within proximity to Trump. 

While the motive is still under investigation, Routh’s online posts insinuate that the attempt was largely because of former President Trump’s foreign policy. 

Routh was an avid supporter of Ukraine after its territory was invaded by Russia in 2022. He tried to recruit Afghan fighters to go to Ukraine, attended several pro-Ukrainian rallies, and desired to fight in Ukraine himself. 

However, several volunteers for pro-Ukrainian organizations have disputed several of Routh’s claims. One said he was “disconnected from reality,” and had “delusions of grandeur.” A 2002 criminal conviction that resulted in a mental health evaluation has further led to questions about his mental condition. 

Routh claimed he voted for Trump in 2016, but had grown critical of him since then. Routh left several letters, blaming Trump for “ending relations with Iran,” and “causing the Middle East to unravel.” He admitted to attempting to assassinate Trump, apologizing for his failure “to the world,” and offering $150,000 to whoever “can complete the job.” He furthermore had written down several venues and dates where Trump was to appear. In his self-published book, he told Iran that they are free to assassinate Trump.

These assassination attempts are the mark of an election cycle that has been among the most polarized in recent history. 

Freshman Tyler Wheeler is a contributing writer. His email is twheeler@fandm.edu.

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