Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday to allegations that he attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, last month.
Routh, 58, faces multiple charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun charges. The brief appearance before Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart comes after a judge ruled that Routh would stay in federal detention and could not be released on bail.
The charges stem from an incident on September 15 when Trump was golfing, and a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes a few holes up from Trump. The agent fired on the gunman, who then fled in a vehicle.
Routh was later apprehended by law enforcement driving the vehicle that a witness had spotted leaving the scene. Law enforcement searched Routh’s vehicle and found “a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October and venues where the former President had appeared or was expected to be present,” according to the Department of Justice.
According to investigators, Routh wrote of his plans to kill Trump in a letter that he put in a box given to a “civilian witness.”
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you,” the letter said.
“Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a U.S. president,” the letter continued. “U.S. presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.”
Routh has previous felony convictions in North Carolina in December 2002 and March 2010.
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In response to the multiple attacks on Trump, both the House and Senate passed legislation that would increase security protections for presidential candidates.
“We all know why this legislation is needed. In a span of just 65 days … President Trump has been the target of two assassination attempts,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said before the Senate unanimously approved the legislation.
The bill, which would standardize security for presidents, vice presidents, and major presidential and vice presidential candidates, is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk.
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