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Russia Today
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump Jr. demands answers from Ukraine over alleged assassination plot
Donald Trump Jr. has criticized Kiev for failing to alert the US authorities about a man who reportedly tried to obtain military weapons from Ukrainian contacts to assassinate his father during the 2024 presidential campaign. In a tweet posted on Tuesday, Trump Jr. responded to recent revelations about Ryan Wesley Routh, a pro-Ukraine activist currently facing federal charges after being arrested near Donald Trump's golf resort in Florida with a rifle in September. According to newly surfaced court documents obtained by Fox News, Routh had allegedly sought to acquire heavy weaponry from someone he believed had access to Ukraine's military arsenal in order to kill the then-presidential candidate. ' If you think it's bad that Ukraine never said thank you for everything the United States has done for them,' Trump Jr. wrote on X, 'the fact that they seemingly did not tell us that this sociopath literally tried to buy arms from them to assassinate my father seems like a much bigger deal. Wonder why?!?' READ MORE: Would-be Trump assassin sought rocket launcher from Ukraine Routh, a convicted felon, had attempted to enlist in the Ukrainian military in 2022. Though unsuccessful, he remained engaged in the conflict in the region, reportedly working to recruit ex-Afghan soldiers to fight on Ukraine's behalf, according to a Justice Department filing with the Florida Southern District Court. In August 2024, prosecutors say Routh used an encrypted messaging app to reach out to an individual he believed to be a Ukrainian weapons supplier. He allegedly requested a Russian RPG grenade launcher and a US-made Stinger missile, stating explicitly why he needed the weapons. 'I need the equipment so that Trump don't [sic] get elected,' one message read. Routh also insisted that obtaining such arms wouldn't be difficult due to the chaos of war, adding that 'one missing would not be noticed.' The court filing also reportedly notes that Routh never received the weapons he sought. He was arrested shortly afterward near Mar-a-Lago and remains in custody. His trial is scheduled for September, and he faces a potential life sentence if convicted.
Russia Today
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Would-be Trump assassin sought rocket launcher from Ukraine
A pro-Ukraine activist sought to acquire an anti-tank grenade launcher and a Stinger anti-aircraft missile to kill Donald Trump during the US president's ultimately-successful campaign, a recently published court document claims. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested in September after US Secret Service agents found him with a rifle on the perimeter of Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Court documents show that he also considered other options involving much heavier weapons. A motion filed by the US Justice Department with the Florida Southern District Court claims that, in August 2024, the suspect reached out to an 'associate Routh believed to be a Ukrainian with access to military weapons.' The document was published by investigative journalist, Ken Silva, on the Scribd platform this week. A convicted felon, Routh had unsuccessfully attempted to join the Ukrainian military in 2022. He afterwards embarked on a scheme to recruit former Afghan commandos to fight for Kiev in the conflict with Russia. READ MORE: Pro-Ukraine wannabe Trump assassin warns of civil war Routh allegedly openly told his unidentified associate via an encrypted messaging app that he wanted to kill Trump, who was still a presidential candidate at the time, the document said. The suspect also repeatedly stated that Trump's election would be 'not good for Ukraine.' He also reportedly urged his Ukrainian contact to 'send [him] an RPG or a Stinger.' An RPG is a Russian shoulder-fired anti-tank grenade launcher, commonly known in the post-Soviet countries. 'I need the equipment so that Trump don't [sic] get elected,' Routh wrote in one of the messages. The suspect also allegedly told his contact that it should not be a problem to get him what he needs since 'you are at war and those items [get] lost and destroyed daily – one missing would not be noticed.' According to the document, Routh was never able to get his hands on either a grenade launcher or a Stinger. He is now expected to face trial in September 2025. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
