The person accused of making an attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, has been linked to a weird internet of pro-Ukraine activism and a historical past of erratic habits.
Routh, who was apprehended in West Palm Beach with a scoped AK-47 earlier than the Secret Service intervened, had beforehand expressed an obsessive fixation on Ukraine and even carried out interviews boasting of his dedication to die for his or her trigger.
In a now-deleted X (previously Twitter) put up directed at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Routh declared his intentions: “I’m an American coming to combat with you in Ukraine; I’m flying into Krakow and can take any transport to Kyiv to fulfill you and combat to the demise. We should get each civilian on this planet to return and be part of the combat; I would be the instance. Assault Moscow now.”
This troubling rhetoric is simply the tip of the iceberg within the unusual case of Routh. A resurfaced interview carried out by Newsweek Romania in 2022 showcases his fanatical dedication to help Ukraine in any respect prices.
Routh, hailing from North Carolina however residing in Hawaii, acknowledged, “My preliminary objective was to return and combat. I imagine everybody across the globe needs to be motivated to return right here and help the Ukrainians, no matter gender or age. Everybody ought to help the military.”
“However I’m 56 with no army expertise, so that they instructed me I wasn’t an excellent candidate for fight. So, plan B was to return to Kyiv and promote getting extra folks right here. We want hundreds of individuals combating with the Ukrainians. With 190 nations world wide, we’d like hundreds from every. If governments gained’t ship their army, civilians want to choose up the torch.
“We’ve bought some great folks right here, however it’s a small fraction of what it needs to be. With solely 5,000 to 10,000 folks combating, that’s minuscule in comparison with the 5 billion folks on the planet. We want everybody right here combating,” he added.
However Routh’s weird ties go even additional. Within the interview, he admitted he labored for the Worldwide Legion.
A New York Times editorial printed in 2022, titled “Stolen Valor: The U.S. Volunteers in Ukraine Who Lie, Waste and Bicker,” included Routh’s title in connection to a controversial community of overseas fighters becoming a member of Ukraine’s battle effort, referred to as the Worldwide Legion.
The article prompt that Routh had allegedly tried to funnel recruits into Ukraine illegally, shifting them from nations like Pakistan and Iran—a sign of Routh’s deep involvement with worldwide paramilitary exercise.
In accordance with an excerpt from the New York Occasions:
“With Legion progress stalling, Ryan Routh, a former development employee from Greensboro, N.C., is looking for recruits from amongst Afghan troopers who fled the Taliban. Mr. Routh, who spent a number of months in Ukraine final yr, mentioned he deliberate to maneuver them, in some circumstances illegally, from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. He mentioned dozens had expressed curiosity.
“We are able to in all probability buy some passports by means of Pakistan, because it’s such a corrupt nation,” he mentioned in an interview from Washington.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: A video has resurfaced of Ryan Routh advocating for America to become involved in Ukraine
He was doubtless radicalized by Democrats continuously calling Trump Putin’s puppet
pic.twitter.com/e3ZP7NNKJn— George (@BehizyTweets) September 15, 2024
In one other resurfaced video, Routh mentioned he prompt bringing Afghan troopers to Ukraine.
“I’m speaking to over 100 troopers on daily basis. Just about everyone, together with all of my contacts in Ukraine, was adamant. They beautiful a lot yelled at me each time that I prompt that we herald Afghans.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: New Background On Trump Shooter Confirms He Was Coordinating With International Troopers In Help Of Ukraine pic.twitter.com/TsRclPWW7t
— Chief Trumpster (@ChiefTrumpster) September 15, 2024
In a now-deleted Fb account, Routh additionally wrote:
“Troopers, please don’t name me. We’re nonetheless making an attempt to get Ukraine to just accept Afghan troopers and hope to have some solutions within the coming months. If you’re involved in combating in Ukraine, you need to have a passport and ship it to me by means of Whatsapp to 18084648342. You should even have the cash to buy an airplane ticket to Moldova, should you can not afford the price you can not go. We’re additionally making an attempt to get Taiwan to just accept troopers hopefully within the coming years. Please have persistence. Ryan”
Widespread YouTuber JiDion additionally dropped a bombshell video revealing that Ryan Routh was caught on digital camera making an attempt to recruit folks for a revolution geared toward “taking this entire system down.”
Within the footage, Routh might be heard saying, “I’m searching for revolutionaries,” earlier than making an attempt at hand JiDion a bit of paper, urging him to affix his military to “take this entire system down.”
WATCH:
BREAKING: Widespread YouTuber JiDion simply launched a video displaying that Ryan Routh was in his video making an attempt to recruit folks to combat for a revolution to “take this entire system down.”
Routh: “I’m searching for revolutionaries.” Then he tried handing JiDion, a bit of paper to affix… pic.twitter.com/f8eMLpfnFS
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 15, 2024