Ryan Wesley Routh, the man arrested on Sunday for an alleged assassination attempt at Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, has drawn attention for a controversial self-published book in which he urged Iran to kill the former president. The book, Ukraine’s Unwinnable War, released last year, reveals Routh’s disillusionment with Trump, whom he once supported, and offers a window into his erratic and often contradictory political views.
In the book, writes The Daily Mail, Routh, 58, admits to having voted for Trump in the 2016 election but describes it as a “terrible mistake.” He labels Trump a “buffoon” and takes personal responsibility for what he describes as the disastrous consequences of Trump’s presidency, particularly the decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. In a startling passage, Routh writes, “You are free to assassinate Trump as well as me for that error in judgment and the dismantling of the deal,” directly addressing Iran.
Several reports have claimed that Iran has been targeting the former president.
The e-book, which remains available on Amazon for $2.99, illustrates the mindset of a man deeply committed to global peace but lacking a sophisticated understanding of geopolitics. Routh’s rhetoric swings wildly, reflecting his shifting political allegiances. At different times, he expressed support for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, then later for Trump, only to become vehemently opposed to the former president.
Authorities have disclosed few details about the alleged plot, but Routh’s prolific online presence, including interviews with multiple news outlets, suggests he was actively involved in recruiting foreign fighters to join the war in Ukraine.
On Sunday, Routh appeared to hide in bushes near where the former president was taking in a round of golf.
The Associated Press reported that “U.S. Secret Service agents posted a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away.
An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later stopped by law enforcement and taken into custody in a neighboring county.”
[Read More: Shots Fired At Trump Golf Course]
