PROFILE - Ryan Routh: From Trump supporter to Trump enemy

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old North Carolina native, has emerged as a complex and controversial figure following his alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Routh's background and recent actions paint a picture of a man driven by strong political convictions and a tumultuous personal history.

Born and raised in North Carolina, he studied at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, focusing on mechanical engineering.

Later, around 2018 he relocated to Hawaii, where he established a shed-building company aimed at addressing homelessness. This venture reflected Routh's self-proclaimed commitment to community service, as evidenced by his LinkedIn profile where he described himself as "constantly focused on contributing as much as possible to the community."

- Hard pro-Ukraine stance

Routh's interest in international causes, particularly the conflict in Ukraine, stands out as a defining aspect of his recent activities. In 2022, he traveled to Ukraine to fight against Russia, frequently urging the world to join him or send aid. However, a Financial Times report claims he was rejected as volunteer due to his inexperience and old age.

"We need to end it in Moscow... we need our nuclear weapons back so that we can flatten Moscow and end evil," Routh wrote in a post on X. His time in Ukraine that lasted eight months, according to his claims, where he went to “fight and die” seems to have deeply affected his worldview.

He even wrote to Elon Musk to “buy a rocket” from SpaceX owner to ”load it with a warhead for Putin’s Black Sea mansion bunker to end him,” raising questions about his mental health.

While there are no certain reasons why he had such a stance on Ukraine, some analysts blame the media for propagandizing him, suggesting Routh has no idea what the war is actually about, and his reasoning of taking action in war as "a battle of good and evil" is very "childlike."

Equally noteworthy is Routh's position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has expressed skepticism about Israel's historical claims to the region. Sharing a historic map on Facebook, he questioned the extent of Jewish-owned land in the area. “It seems to historically all be Palestinian,” he wrote.

Routh's involvement in global conflicts extends further, as seen in his recent calls for international support in Haiti. On X, he claimed to have access to 300 Afghan NATO-trained soldiers with passports ready to travel to Haiti to assist in restoring order. "They are extremely economical," Routh stated, adding that they would work for "extremely cheap rates to simply get out of Afghanistan and Iran."

- ‘I will be glad when you (are) gone’

In recent years, Routh's political views have undergone a dramatic shift. Initially a Trump supporter in 2016, he became increasingly critical of the former president, accusing him of wanting to "make Americans slaves against master." He said in 2020 that Trump’s term in the office “disappointed” him and the former president is “getting worse.” He said in an X post: “I will be glad when you (are) gone.”

Unlike US President Joe Biden who has been sending military equipment to support Ukraine, Trump advocates for a negotiated settlement to end the Russia-Ukraine war if elected president in 2024. This stands as a major contrast point between Routh and Trump.

This ideological transformation led him to advocate for voting to “protect democracy” and express support for the Biden-Harris administration, as can be observed in his social media posts.

- Criminal background

According to several media reports, Routh's life has been marred by a lengthy criminal record stretching back to the 1990s.

His rap sheet includes offenses ranging from traffic violations to more serious charges like carrying a concealed weapon and possessing stolen goods.

A particularly notable incident occurred in 2002 when he was convicted of possessing a weapon of mass destruction – specifically, a fully automatic machine gun – following a tense three-hour standoff with law enforcement, according to the Greensboro News and Record report.

On Sunday, Routh was found armed with an AK-47 rifle, positioned 400-500 yards (365 to 457 meters) from where Trump was golfing at West Palm Beach, Florida and taken into custody.