So far, the suspected Trump assassin had only been charged with violations of gun laws. But the evidence against him is overwhelming – the US Department of Justice is stepping up its efforts.
A good week after the alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the main suspect has been officially charged with the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. The incident in the US state of Florida was a direct attack on democracy, the Justice Department announced on Tuesday evening (local time). Concerns about politically motivated violence in the USA remain high in the middle of the election campaign – and Congress is also taking action.
The 58-year-old suspect has so far been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and with an obscured serial number. It was expected that he would be charged with additional charges. Specifically, the new charge is called “attempt to assassinate a prominent political candidate.” If convicted, Ryan Wesley Routh faces a life sentence.
Concern in Congress about candidate safety
Almost at the same time, the US Congress passed a law that is intended to improve the protection of presidential candidates. The text passed the Senate unanimously, and a few days earlier the House of Representatives had voted unanimously in favor of the bill. The law provides that the Republican presidential candidate Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris will be granted the same level of Secret Service protection as the incumbent US President Joe Biden. Biden must now sign the text.
However, there are doubts as to whether additional funds for the Secret Service so close to the election can significantly improve the candidates’ security. The Secret Service is responsible for protecting high-ranking politicians – including the incumbent president, but also former office holders or presidential candidates such as Trump. Since the assassination attempt in the town of Butler in the state of Pennsylvania a good two months ago, Trump has already received the same protection as the incumbent president. However, the latter is still protected by forces from the Department of Defense, for example.
Suspect in Florida is said to have planned attack long in advance
A gunman opened fire at a Republican Party campaign event in Butler and shot Trump. One visitor to the rally died and two others were injured. Trump was wounded in the right ear. The perpetrator was killed by security forces. A week ago, another incident occurred: The Secret Service shot an armed man who was hiding in the bushes at Trump’s golf course in Florida while the ex-president was playing there. The suspect did not fire a bullet and fled, but was arrested and charged a short time later.
On Monday, the public prosecutor’s office had already published a letter that Routh is said to have written. The letter – addressed to “Die Welt” – states: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I have disappointed you. I tried my best and gave everything I could muster.” Court documents show that Routh’s cell phone was at the crime scene for around twelve hours beforehand – and with it he himself was probably there. He is said to have planned the attack methodically.
Attorney General: “Violence against public officials endangers everything the United States stands for”
The Justice Department also announced that Routh’s cell phone was tracked on several days and at various times between August 18 and September 15 near Trump’s golf club and his Mar-a-Lago estate, a few kilometers away. The 58-year-old will remain in custody until the trial begins. “Violence against public officials endangers everything our country stands for,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
On November 5, former President Trump and Vice President Harris will face off against each other in the presidential election. The mood in the USA is heated – there is great concern about further escalation. After the incident at his golf club in Florida, Trump blamed the Democrats. US President Biden warned against further violence.
Trump team: threat from Iran
Recently, hacker attacks on the internal communications of Trump’s campaign team also made headlines. US intelligence agencies blamed Iran for this – which denied this. Now Trump’s campaign team announced that the Republican had been informed by US intelligence “about real and concrete threats from Iran to assassinate him.” Iran’s goal is to destabilize the USA and sow chaos, said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung, citing the Office of National Intelligence. Trump was informed of this on Tuesday (local time).
There was no immediate comment from the Office of National Intelligence. The agency warned earlier this week that foreign actors, including Russia and Iran, were using artificial intelligence to “enhance their respective efforts to influence elections in the United States.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
