On Monday, charges were filed against the suspect arrested on Sunday in connection with the investigation into the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump, for illegally possessing a weapon.
American media reported that Ryan Wesley Roth, 58, who attempted to shoot the former president on Sunday afternoon while he was playing golf at his club in Palm Beach, not far from his Mar-a-Lago residence, will face “additional and more serious” charges as the investigation continues.
If convicted of the first charge, the suspect faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison and up to five years for the second charge. He was prohibited from possessing a firearm, being previously convicted of reselling stolen goods in 2010.
Court records also show that Roth was previously convicted of minor offenses, including carrying an unlicensed concealed weapon, fleeing after a traffic accident, and driving with a revoked license.
This pro-Ukraine American has been highly critical of the Republican presidential candidate, especially in a self-published book in 2023 entitled “The Unwinnable War in Ukraine.”
In a message addressed to Iran, he criticized the 45th President of the United States, even though he voted for him in the 2016 election, saying, “You are free to assassinate Trump.”
In their analysis of the suspect’s digital postings, especially his public archive, interviews, and videos, American media depicted him as a rebellious man with volatile political opinions, swinging between left and right, supporting Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard (Democrats), as well as Nikki Haley and Donald Trump (Republicans).
Roth was also overseeing a website dedicated to fundraising to recruit those willing to fight in Kyiv. In a tweet published in February 2023, he stated he would “fight and die for Ukraine” himself.
Following this second assassination attempt on Trump in two months, the Secret Service, an agency under the Department of Homeland Security responsible for the safety of former U.S. presidents and key figures, is facing a flood of severe criticism again.
The former director of the Secret Service, Kimberly Cheatle, was forced to resign after the first assassination attempt on the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13.
Following the new incident, Trump’s campaign team announced on Sunday that he is safe, without providing details on how his campaign schedule might be affected.
The Republican candidate is expected to participate in a meeting in Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday, before holding a campaign rally in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday.
