Suspect in Trump Assassination Attempt Spent Nearly 12 Hours in Wait

Above: A screen grab captured from a video shows police forces arresting Ryan Routh, who is the suspect in an apparent assassination attempt on former US Pres. Donald Trump in Florida, United States, on September 16, 2024. Image copyright: Martin County Sheriff's Office/Anadolu/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Phone records for Ryan Routh, the 58-year-old man suspected of staging an assassination attempt on former US Pres. Donald Trump on Sunday, suggest he was waiting in the bushes of Trump's Florida golf course for nearly 12 hours.

  • According to court documents, Secret Service agents probing the hiding spot found a digital camera, two bags, and a loaded SKS semi-automatic rifle.


The Spin

Republican narrative

As was the case on July 13, this assassination plot was ignited by the inflammatory language of Democrats. Their accusations that Trump is a threat to democracy, coupled with their politically motivated lawsuits, unstable individuals have been emboldened to try and kill the Republican presidential candidate.

Democratic narrative

Trump's efforts to blame these attempts on his life on provocative rhetoric from the political left are ludicrous. The GOP nominee is doing what he has always done — making false claims that he is a persecuted victim of the political establishment. The former president is trying to whip up a frenzy to keep himself in the public eye, without any concern for the effects his divisive diatribes have on US democracy.


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