Ryan Wesley Routh, who tried to assassinate Donald Trump, penned a chilling letter admitting his failure in trying to kill the former president. In the note, released by the Department of Justice on Monday and obtained by DailyMail.com, Routh also offered $150,000 to anyone who could "finish the job."
Earlier this month, the former president was quickly moved to safety after several shots were fired near him while he was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach. Gunman Routh, 58, was arrested on the highway after a brief chase by cops, following the first assassination attempt on the former president at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, two months ago.
Chilling Letter to Assassinate Trump
"This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job," the letter reads.
"Everyone acress the globe from the youngest to the oldest knows that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less U.S. president. U.S. presidents must at the bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity."
The letter, addressed to "the world," accused Trump of having "ended relations with Iran like a child," leading to chaos in the Middle East.
Routh had also compiled a list of Trump's upcoming public appearances and searched for a route from Palm Beach, Florida, to Mexico.
He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday for a detention hearing following the attempted assassination on September 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Before Routh's court appearance, federal prosecutors submitted a written proffer providing new details about the day he tried to assassinate Trump on his West Palm Beach golf course.
Along with presenting evidence against Routh, the Justice Department argued that he should remain in custody as the case progresses.
According to the document, a Secret Service agent patrolling the fence line between Trump's course and the public street, one hole ahead of the former president, "spotted a partially obscured man hiding in the brush near the fence."
That man was later identified as Routh.
Tracking Routh and His Arrest
The agent then saw a rifle barrel emerge and fired at the suspect. He "took cover behind a tree, reloaded, and looked up" only to find Routh had disappeared.
At the time, Routh had a clear view of the 6th hole green, while Trump was playing on the 5th hole. After hearing gunshots from their fellow agent at the 6th hole, Secret Service quickly escorted Trump off the course.
After the agent fired, a witness saw Routh fleeing across Summit Boulevard toward a black Nissan Xterra with a Florida license plate parked nearby. The witness took photos of the Xterra and noted all but the last digit of the license plate. With this information, local authorities were able to locate the vehicle and arrest Routh.
Inside the car, law enforcement found six cell phones, one of which showed a Google search for directions from Palm Beach County to Mexico.
The vehicle also contained 12 pairs of gloves, a Hawaiian driver's license in Routh's name, and a list of Trump's scheduled public appearances for August, September, and October.
Also, officers found a notebook filled with names and phone numbers related to Ukraine, notes discussing joining the fight for Ukraine, and criticisms of the governments of China and Russia.
On September 18, law enforcement was contacted by a witness who recalled Routh dropping off a box at his home months earlier. After hearing about the incident at the golf course, the witness opened the box.
Inside was a chilling letter addressed to "The World," in which Routh expressed his intentions to kill the former president, predicting he would fail. He also offered a six-figure sum to anyone willing to complete the assassination.
