Fri Sep 20 11:00:00 UTC 2024: ## False Claim: Second Attempted Assassin of Trump Appeared in BlackRock Commercial
Following the apparent attempted assassination of former President Trump on September 15, 2024, rumors about the alleged assailant, Ryan Routh, began circulating online. One prominent claim alleged that Routh had appeared in a commercial for BlackRock, a major investment company. This rumor drew a parallel to the July 2024 attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania, where the alleged perpetrator, Thomas Crooks, was indeed found to have appeared in a BlackRock commercial.
However, Snopes, a fact-checking website, has debunked the claim regarding Routh. The video shared as evidence is not a BlackRock commercial but rather a video produced by Ukraine’s Azov Battalion in May 2022, thanking supporters and raising awareness for the besieged city of Mariupol.
While Routh’s involvement in the video was genuine, his brief appearance in the Azov Battalion’s fundraising video has no connection to BlackRock or any alleged ties to the company.
The New York Times reported in 2023 that Routh had traveled to Ukraine and attempted to join the International Legion, highlighting a possible motive for his presence in the Azov video.
Therefore, Snopes rates the claim that Routh appeared in a BlackRock commercial as **false**. This highlights the importance of verifying information before spreading it online, especially in the context of sensitive events.
First Piper 