Tue Sep 17 05:03:37 UTC 2024: ## Man Charged with Plotting to Assassinate Donald Trump on Golf Course

**West Palm Beach, Florida:** A man has been arrested and charged with federal gun crimes after being discovered on Donald Trump’s Florida golf course with a loaded rifle, allegedly plotting to assassinate the former president.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from shrubbery near the Trump International Golf Course. The suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by local authorities.

According to the criminal complaint, Routh had been waiting in the bushes overnight, and his phone records indicate he had been monitoring Trump’s movements. Police recovered the rifle, along with two backpacks and a GoPro camera, from the scene.

Routh’s political affiliations appear to have shifted over time. While he has posted support for both Trump and President Joe Biden on social media, he recently voted in the 2024 Democratic primary. He is known to have expressed critical opinions of Trump in the past.

This is the second alleged assassination attempt on Trump. In July, he was slightly wounded in the ear after an attacker at a rally in New Hampshire fired a gun.

The incident has raised concerns about the Secret Service’s security protocols, particularly as Trump is no longer the sitting president. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County stated that the Secret Service had not secured the entire golf course, only focusing on the area around Trump.

President Biden has called for Congress to authorize more personnel for the Secret Service, citing the increased security risks facing former presidents.

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