Staff Reports
The saga of Ryan Wesley Routh takes another bizarre twist as the suspect who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump has decided to plead not guilty to a buffet of serious charges. Routh faces a laundry list of accusations, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault on a federal officer, and various firearm-related offenses. One wonders if he thinks he’s auditioning for the next lead role in a crime thriller; sadly, this isn’t Hollywood, and the stakes are far too high.
This not-guilty plea was just the cherry on top at his court appearance in front of United States Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart. Routh’s legal team reportedly played the classic “we want a jury trial” card, as if a jury is somehow going to forget that he hid in the bushes wielding an AK-style rifle near Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach. One can only wonder how many law and order episodes it took for them to land on that strategy, but it’s a risky gambit when there’s ample evidence of your misadventures.
The context makes Routh’s claims even more alarming. His rendezvous with law enforcement began after agents spotted the barrel of his rifle poking out through the bushes—not exactly a good hiding strategy, reminiscent of a kid trying to play hide and seek while clutching a bright red toy. This was all happening while Trump was playing golf, a pastime that has apparently attracted more attention than a high-stakes poker game—at least in Routh’s eyes. Following his discovery, he reportedly panicked and fled the scene, reminiscent of a cartoon character darting away after knocking over a stack of dishes.
Trump Assassination Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh Pleads Not Guilty https://t.co/jSkUl1BfC0
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) October 1, 2024
In a plot twist worthy of a dark comedy, agents found more than just Routh’s rifle in those bushes. They stumbled upon a GoPro camera and two backpacks, which certainly raises questions about what he planned to film. Perhaps he fancied himself a protégé of the infamous “YouTube for Criminals” genre, concocting an ill-fated series entitled “How to Get Caught Attempting to Assassinate a Former President.”
Adding to this circus is the fact that this is not the first time an attempt has been made on Trump’s life; it follows a recent shooting incident involving another deranged individual at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania. It seems clear that those who take shots—both literally and figuratively—at Trump are getting bolder by the day. As it stands, the legal system will have plenty to sort through as they deal with a man whose grasp of reality seems more dubious than his ability to handle firearms.
