Suspected Trump would-be assassin's interview in Ukraine in 2022: Video
Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, is currently registered as an independent voter, contrary to various online claims suggesting otherwise.
Routh, 58, was arrested on Sunday after a Secret Service agent spotted a rifle sticking out from the bushes while Trump was golfing in Florida. Following his arrest, there was widespread misinformation online about his political affiliation, with some suggesting he was affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic Party.
According to Patrick Gannon, public information director for the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Routh has been registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina since 2012.
He requested an absentee ballot in 2016 but did not vote that year. Prior to this, Routh was removed from the voter rolls in 2003 and 2010 due to felony convictions.
Routh’s political views appear to have shifted over time. In a 2023 self-published book on the war in Ukraine, he identified himself as politically independent and expressed frustration at being categorized. His social media activity reveals support for a variety of political figures, including Trump, President Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard, as well as advocacy for a Republican ticket with Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley.
Routh has also been vocal in his support for Ukraine and participated in demonstrations in Kyiv in 2022.