Son of alleged would-be assassin says his dad hates Trump like ‘all reasonable people’ but he’s never owned a gun and wouldn’t do anything bats*** crazy
The son of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man named Sunday as a suspect in a possible assassination attempt near Donald Trump’s Florida golf club, has said his father is not a violent person and did not even believe he owned a gun.
Wesley’s son, Oran Routh, was contacted by DailyMail.com shortly after Sunday’s shooting. He said it was the first time he had heard of the alleged assassination attempt.
“This was the first time I heard about it,” the 35-year-old told DailyMail.com exclusively. “Was my father shot or injured?”
He said his father, like him, hates Trump, as does “any reasonable person,” he said. “I don’t like Trump either.”
But he said his father is not a violent person and he couldn’t believe his father would target the president.
The son of Ryan Wesley Routh, pictured, the man named as a suspect in a possible assassination attempt near Donald Trump’s Florida golf club, said his father is not a violent man
An image shared by police reveals a backpack, purse, GoPro camera and AK-47 rifle with a scope were stolen by a suspected assassin outside Donald Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach on Sunday.
“He’s my dad and all he’s had, as far as I know, is a couple of traffic tickets,” the son said. “That’s crazy. I know my dad and I love him, but that’s nothing compared to him.”
The former president was taken to safety on Sunday after multiple shots were fired in his area while he was playing golf at his club in West Palm Beach.
Routh said his father moved to Hawaii a few years ago and lived with his girlfriend. He said he didn’t even know his father was in Florida.
“He said he was at the beach, but I thought he meant the Outer Banks in Hawaii,” he said. “I didn’t ask him for more information because we had a falling out. We drifted apart.”
He wouldn’t explain why they were “fighting,” but still spoke highly of his father.
“He’s not a violent person,” he said. “He’s a hardworking man and a great father. He’s a great guy, a nice guy and has worked his whole f**king life.”
Multiple shots were fired at Trump’s golf club in West Pam Beach, Florida on Sunday. Now a police scene has been set up outside the club
When asked if his father owned a gun, he replied, “Not that I know of.”
“I’ve never seen him own a gun or do anything this horrible,” the son added.
He said his father works as a contractor building small homes in Hawaii, and that he previously owned a roofing company.
He abruptly ended the call and said he wanted to inquire as to what had actually happened.
The suspect ran away from the trees but was spotted by a witness who took a photo of his vehicle – a black Nissan – which also included its license plate, before driving away.
Trump confirmed in a statement about an hour after the shots were reported that he is “safe and well” and that he does not want the rumors to “get out of hand.”
The suspect was able to approach Trump to within 400-500 yards.
The 2024 Republican candidate’s expanded Secret Service team spotted the shooter in the treeline just two holes from where Trump was golfing.
Special Agent Rafael Barros explained at Sunday’s press conference that the Secret Service accompanies Trump and typically inspects one or two holes for him when he plays a round of golf.
Two hours after the incident, the FBI released a statement saying the attack “appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”
Police inspect the tree line and brush outside Trump International Golf Club, where the gunman hid and left his belongings as he fled the scene
Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department vehicles were lined up outside Trump International Golf Club on Sunday after gunfire was reported near where the former president was golfing.
A bullet hit Donald Trump’s right ear during an assassination attempt just two months ago, on July 13, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania
The armed suspect was positioned outside the club around the 5th and 6th holes, which appears to be a more ‘vulnerable’ part of the course as it is closest to the road.
The area where the suspect was first spotted by his security guards was two holes away from where Trump was golfing when the gunshots were heard. The suspect fled.
The incident comes as Trump has ramped up security in the two months since the former president was shot in the ear during an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13.
Trump’s golf club is just five miles from his home, the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. When the former president isn’t campaigning, he’s often spotted here.
Palm Beach police held a press conference Sunday afternoon to provide updates on the shooting and released images of the suspect’s backpack, GoPro camera and AK-47 rifle that were left at the scene.