Ryan Wesley Routh, the man behind the second assassination attempt against President Donald Trump in September 2024, tried to purchase an RPG from an asset he believed to be in Ukraine, a court filing has revealed.
The filing on behalf of the United States government was entered at the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida on Monday.
The would-be assassin was allegedly using an encrypted messaging app to correspond with an individual "believed to be a Ukrainian with access to military weapons" a month before being spotted with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Routh and the individual spoke about the July assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the then-presidential candidate was shot and wounded. Corey Comperatore, a retired volunteer fire chief, was killed in the assassination attempt as he protected his wife and daughter, while two other men were severely injured.
“I wish," Routh reportedly said of the near murder of the Republican leader.
The suspect also apparently discussed grandiose plans, which appear to suggest he was seeking a weapon of war to shoot down Trump's campaign plane.
"Send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do," Routh allegedly told the associate. "[Trump] is not good for Ukraine."
‼️‼️Disturbing Details of Ryan Routh's Alleged Plot to Kill Trump:
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) April 8, 2025
Ryan Routh, who allegedly tried to kill Donald Trump on his golf course in West Palm Beach, attempted to buy a "rocket propelled grenade" from someone he believed to be a "Ukranian with access to the military,"… pic.twitter.com/SFxBfnEcv9
Florida Man Living Near Mar-a-Lago Arrested After Making Multiple Threats Against President Trump
Far from just wantonly seeking to use said RPG in an unplanned manner, Routh reportedly was actively tracking Trump's campaign plane, indicating he had a target.
He sent an image of the aircraft and added the message, "Trump’s plane, he gets on and off daily.”
The supposed Ukrainian asset and Routh also discussed details of the potential RPG purchase, including price, whether or not it could be shipped, and how they might get away with it based on the fact that weapons disappear regularly in the war-torn country.
“I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected," Routh said in his reasoning for trying to attain the grenade launcher.
DOJ Motion on Stingers and More by Ken Silva
The government argues in its motion to admit evidence that Routh was "active(ly) tracking" Donald Trump's plane and had taken many substantial steps to "destroy that plane" as part of his attempt to kill the future President.
Several questions arise. Who was on an encrypted messaging app portraying themselves as a Ukrainian with access to military weapons? And when were these messages shared with the Department of Justice?
Routh was asking detailed questions about and exhibiting signs that he had serious intent to purchase an RPG to take down the airplane of a presidential candidate but was still able to get on Trump's golf course a month later.
The House Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump released its final report in December, revealing other surprising details of the incident on the golf course.
While there were several revelations from that report, the most shocking may have been that a Secret Service agent fired at Routh from point-blank range. And completely whiffed … six separate times.
FOX NEWS ALERT: New revelations about the attempted Trump assassin, Ryan Routh. The @SecretService agent who spotted Routh in the bushes was only five feet away from him, but shot and missed- SIX TIMES. How does a trained agent miss a target five feet away? And that’s not all… pic.twitter.com/BT6ykkM42J
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) December 12, 2024
The report praised the agent for firing in Routh's general direction.
“[T]he diligence of and successful scanning by the special agent conducting [redacted] of former President Trump provided a critical line of defense to avert a disaster that day,” the report stated.
“The special agent’s quick response and decision to discharge his firearm in the direction of the threat prevented a potentially lethal or other dangerous scenario from occurring.”
Routh had been in his shooting position since 1:59 a.m. Trump arrived at the golf course around 11 a.m. and had been on the course for two hours before the Secret Service located Routh via a sweep.
At the time of the exchange of gunfire, only around 300-500 yards separated him from the President.
Routh is facing charges of attempted assassination and assaulting a federal officer in addition to firearms charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors are using the new information as they argue the defendant's intent was clearly to assassinate Trump.
Routh's trial is scheduled to begin on September 8th. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.
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