Court records and official Department of Justice announcements

Ryan Routh, Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect, Wrote Letter Offering $150K Bounty

Sep 23, 2024, 01:33 PM

Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, is due in court on Monday. Prosecutors revealed that Routh had written a letter months earlier expressing his intent to kill Trump and offering a $150,000 bounty to anyone who could 'finish the job.' The letter, which was released by the Department of Justice, stated, 'This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job.' Routh was arrested near Trump's West Palm Beach golf course earlier this month, where he had been hiding for 12 hours, armed with a rifle. The Justice Department is seeking to keep Routh in pretrial detention, arguing that he poses a significant threat.