Donald Trump's apparent attempted assassination: Suspect's son insists he's 'not a violent person'

The 2024 elections have been more dangerous than ever for Donald Trump. After his attempted assassination that left his ear injured, a report suggested that there had been an alleged plot by Iran to assassinate the former president. Nearly two months after that, a potentially dangerous situation unfolded at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

On September 15, 2024, while former President Donald Trump was playing a round of golf, Secret Service agents noticed a man hiding in the bushes near the course. As reported by Sky News, the man was armed with an AK-47-style rifle. The agents opened fire on the suspect, who then fled the scene in an SUV, leaving behind the weapon, two backpacks, and a GoPro camera.

The suspect was later identified as Ryan Routh, a 58-year-old resident of Hawaii. Authorities believe Routh intended to assassinate Trump, however the investigation is still pending.

Fortunately, no one was harmed during the incident, and Routh was apprehended after a police chase in a neighbouring county.

Ryan Routh’s son speaks out: ‘He’s not a violent person’

Following the incident, Ryan Routh's son, Oran, spoke out about his father’s actions. He told CNN he hoped ‘everything has been blown out of proportion’ and it was unlike his father to ‘do anything crazy, much less violent.’ He said:

Ryan is my father, and I don't have any comment beyond a character profile of him as a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man.

Ryan lived in North Carolina for most of his life before he moved to Hawaii in 2018 where he lives with his long-term girlfriend. Oran told MailOnline that the two had experienced a falling out and had grown apart in recent years. He was under the impression that his father was still in Hawaii, not in Florida.

The 35-year-old emphasized that his father hates Trump ‘as every reasonable person does.’ However, he added that even then his father would never do something like this. He said:

He's not a violent person. He's a hard worker and a great dad. He's a great dude, a nice guy and has worked his whole f*cking life.

When asked if he knew his father owned any guns, Oran said:

Not that I know of. I've never known him to own a gun or known him to do anything batsh*t like this.

Who is Ryan Routh? The man behind Trump’s ‘apparent assassination’ attempt

Ryan Wesley Routh works as a general contractor building small homes in Hawaii and previously owned a roofing company. While his son had no knowledge of him owning firearms, it has come to light that Ryan has had several encounters with law enforcement, some over the possession of firearms.

According to Sky News, he was charged, in two separate incidents in 2002, for possessing a weapon of mass destruction as per online North Carolina Department of Adult Correction records. He was armed with a machine gun in one of these incidents.

Voter records reveal he was registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012. He most recently voted in person during the state's Democratic Party primary in March 2024. Routh has also made 19 small political donations totalling around $140 (£106) since 2019 to ActBlue - a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates.

Before his inclination towards the Democratic political spectrum, Routh had previously made tweets supporting Trump. His son insisted that his father was fed up with the ‘broken and disassociated’ political process.

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Sources used

Sky News: Ryan Routh: What we know about suspect after apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump

MailOnline: Son of alleged would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh says his dad hates Trump like 'all reasonable people' but he's never owned a gun and wouldn't do anything bats*** crazy

Euro News: Trump shooting: What we know about the attack and the suspect