“I Failed You”: Details of the Letter and Reward from the Suspect in the Attempted Assassination of Trump

24th September 2024

3 minutes read

"I Failed You": Details of the Letter and Reward from the Suspect in the Attempted Assassination of Trump

Court documents released by the U.S. prosecutor on Tuesday revealed surprises left by the suspect accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his golf course.

The armed suspect, named Ryan Roth, had written a letter months prior about his plan, which was published after his appearance before a judge in southern Florida.

Roth, 58, was arrested while attempting to flee by car from Trump‘s International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15.

He was charged with illegal possession of a weapon and possession of a firearm with its serial number removed. The prosecutor also indicated that they intend to file an additional charge of attempted assassination.

A Secret Service agent shot at him after spotting the barrel of a rifle among the trees surrounding the golf course, according to documents submitted by the government to the court.

Message to the World

According to the prosecutor’s document, Roth delivered a box to an unidentified person’s home “several months ago,” containing ammunition, a metal tube, construction materials, phones, and “various letters.”

After learning about the assassination attempt. the witness reportedly opened the box and found a letter addressed “to the world.”

The letter read: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you.”

It added: “I did my best and gave it all I had. It’s up to you now to complete the mission, and I’ll offer $150,000 to whoever can finish the job.”

It’s unclear if Roth was referring to a previous separate assassination attempt or if he expected the Trump assassination attempt at the golf course to fail.

Charges

Roth is charged with possession of a weapon with the serial number removed and unlawful possession of a weapon. The prosecutor indicated they plan to add the charge of “attempted assassination,” which would raise his maximum sentence to life imprisonment.

Trump accused the Department of Justice and the FBI of “mishandling and downplaying” the golf course incident, which he believes is the second assassination attempt on him after a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally in July. The shooter in that previous case was killed on the spot, and there appears to be no connection between the incidents.

Conspiracy Theories

In a written statement that appeared to be prepared before the prosecutor’s suggestion of a possible third charge, Trump called the accusation “just a slap on the wrist.”

In a statement filled with conspiracy theories related to his criminal cases, Trump called for Roth‘s case to be transferred to Florida state authorities, led by right-wing Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

Investigators believe Roth may have staked out Trump for nearly 12 hours at the Florida golf course.

He was arrested after police spotted his vehicle driving on a nearby highway.

According to the government, Roth traveled to Florida a month before his arrest and began monitoring the golf course, even passing by Trump’s oceanfront home.

In online posts, Roth wrote that he voted for Trump in 2016 but that “the president turned out to be a disappointment,” in his words.

In Roth‘s letter, the first page of which appeared in court documents, he stated, “Everyone in the world, from the youngest to the oldest, knows that Trump is unfit to be anything, let alone president of the United States.”

According to Roth, “U.S. presidents must at least embody the moral fabric that America stands for, be kind, empathetic, selfless, and always stand for humanity. Trump fails to understand any of this.”

Roth’s defense team acknowledged that he had been arrested previously for lesser charges, describing him as “a law-abiding citizen with no history of violence,” according to them.