Another Trump Assassination Attempt Raises Concerns About Intelligence

• Donald Trump was targeted for assassination by a man with a long criminal history and who tried to fight in Ukraine

• The shooter may have been on the FBI’s radar due to his previous encounters with police, though he was not closely monitored

• The FBI agent leading the investigation into the incident has a history of being hostile toward Trump and conservatives

The story

On Sunday, September 15, Donald Trump was playing a round of golf at his Mar-a-Lago golf course. Secret Service (USSS) agents were patrolling just a couple of holes ahead of Trump when they spotted an AK-style rifle sticking through a chain-link fence.

The rifle belonged to a man who had been camped out in a sniper’s nest for nearly 12 hours, waiting to kill the former president.

After he was spotted, USSS agents opened fire on the suspect as he fled, leaving behind two backpacks, a firearm, a scope, and a GoPro. The suspect successfully evaded the Secret Service and escaped the area, but was fortunately spotted by an eyewitness as he fled in his vehicle.

The suspect was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh from Hawaii, who had an extensive criminal record and was zealous about supporting Ukraine in their war effort. Routh claimed to have supported Donald Trump in 2016 but has since come to hate him, describing him as a “retarded child.”

Routh exhibited clear signs of mental health issues, including a bizarre e-book he published in which he urged Iran to “kill” Trump. Having previously lived in North Carolina, his neighbors revealed that he was really into his guns and that “a lot of people were afraid of him.”

While more information about the shooter is trickling out, some shocking security failures allowed this incident to unfold. It's hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu, as similar security failures played a role in Trump's near-assassination just two months ago.

But this time, the Secret Service’s response was a relative improvement compared to their response in Butler, PA. Now, there is much blame being shed on American intelligence and why the FBI or CIA had not come down on Routh, considering his prior behavior almost certainly would have put him on their radar.

Numerous red flags

The assassin’s past exposes him as an internationalist with a tenuous grasp of reality. Notably, Routh had previously been interviewed by multiple large media outlets, such as Semafor, Newsweek, and The New York Times, all regarding his commitments to Ukraine.

In 2022, he traveled to Kyiv hoping to join the Ukrainian army but was turned down due to his age and lack of military experience. After being rejected, he sought to recruit US-trained Afghan soldiers to fight for Ukraine, though Ukrainians were skeptical of the idea. It’s unclear if Routh had any success in this effort.

Intelligence experts argue that an American citizen eager to fight in a foreign war, like Routh, should have been on the CIA’s radar. Additionally, a 2002 incident where Routh had a three-hour standoff with police after barricading himself in a business likely would have drawn FBI attention as well.

The actions by Routh, now also charged with possessing a firearm with a partially scratched-off serial number and illegal gun possession as a felon, raise concerns about why he wasn't flagged earlier for these offenses.

The FBI’s credibility problem

Routh’s social media also appears to have been deleted on Facebook and X. It is not clear who directed his accounts to be wiped and for what purpose.

Thus far, the FBI has secured warrants for Routh’s phone, electronics, and vehicle, and has been conducting interviews with his family. However, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced that the state of Florida would conduct its own investigation into the assassination attempt.

DeSantis noted in a press conference that there are some concerns that “the same agencies that are prosecuting Trump” may not be the most reliable when it comes to now investigating his near-assassination.

In a similar vein, conservative commentator Glenn Beck spoke with FBI whistleblower Steve Friend, who alleged that the bureau’s lead investigator for this latest Trump assassination attempt — Jeffrey Veltri — is the same agent who tampered with evidence during the 2022 Mar-a-Lago raid.

Before becoming head of the Miami field office, Veltri led the FBI's Security Division, where he allegedly aimed to purge agents who were military veterans or attended regular religious services, suspecting they might be disloyal and potential whistleblowers. Friend also suggested that Veltri was urged to cleanse his Facebook page of anti-Trump posts before relocating to Miami.

Why it matters

The second attempt at Donald Trump’s life in just two months indicates a shocking escalation in modern American politics. While much can be said about how heated rhetoric from the media and political class has radicalized both normal Americans and the mentally unstable, it remains clear that the intelligence community did not successfully track Routh.

Questions will also need to be answered about how he was allowed to possess firearms despite his lengthy criminal record and the fact that he was last reported to the FBI for firearm possession in 2019.

As the probe continues, some may remain skeptical of the investigators because of the open disdain some FBI higher-ups have for the very man they are investigating.