Oran Routh has issued a statement in his father's defense. Ryan Wesley Routh, his father, is the alleged suspect in the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. According to Oran, his father doesn't have a violent bone in his body and has never owned a gun, he believed. He noted that his father willingly went to Ukraine to help the troops defending the country.
Ryan Wesly Routh, 58, was arrested on September 15, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Clun in West Palm Beach, Florida. While his son pointed out to Daily Mail that Routh was not a fan of the Republican nominee like "every reasonable person," he wasn't one to try and execute him, either. He also noted that he couldn't contact his father, so he was not speaking on his behalf.
Oran Routh says Ryan Wesly Routh is a "great dude" and a "nice guy"
Oran Routh contacted the Daily Mail to voice his grievances, noting that this was the first time he'd heard of the alleged assassination attempt. He added that he wasn't even sure if his father was shot or injured. He mentioned that while the father-son duo did not like Trump, he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of his father trying to execute him.
"He's my dad and all he's had is couple traffic tickets, as far as I know. That's crazy. I know my dad and love my dad, but that's nothing like him. He’s not a violent person. He’s a hard worker and a great dad. He’s a great dude, a nice guy and has worked his whole f–king life."
According to the New York Post, Ryan Wesly Routh was allegedly equipped with an AK-47 not too far away from Trump while he was playing golf at his club. Soon, multiple shots were fired, and a secret service agent stationed a few feet away from him spotted the gunman in hiding on the outskirts of the club. Oran noted that he wasn't even aware that his father was in the state:
“He said he was at the beach, but I thought that meant the outer banks in Hawaii. I didn’t ask him for more information because we’ve had a falling out. We’ve grown apart.”
While Oran did not give more details about the "falling out," he said he doesn't think his dad would own a gun or do "anything batsh-t like this." His father had moved to Hawaii a few years ago, where he was staying with his longtime partner. He was a general contractor and previously owned a roofing company there.
According to the Daily Mail, the son then abruptly ended the call. However, he texted a while later, defending Ryan Wesly Routh.
"I hate this game every four years, and think that we all do, and if my father wants to be a martyr to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that's his choice. I'm not saying that's what he's done or what he's about, that's just my own rant being fed up with it all for my entire adult life. South Park said it best, every 4 years we're forced to choose between a turd sandwich and a giant douche, and it all stays f****d in the same ways by different degrees, and we're exhausted and embarrassed by it all."
Who is Ryan Wesly Routh?
Originally from North Carolina, the 58-year-old has operated an active presence on social media, where he frequently dished out comments on politics and other affairs like the Russa-Ukraine crisis. In one post, he even mentioned the previous assassination attempt on Trump at the rally in Pennsylvania in June. He tagged Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, stating:
“You and Biden should visit the injured people in the hospital from the Trump rally and attend the funeral of the murdered fireman. Trump will never do anything for them."
In April, he tagged Biden in a post that said America should be kept "democratic and free."
"Trumps should be MASA …make Americans slaves again master. DEMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose.”
In June 2020, Ryan Wesly Routh told the world he was once a Trump supporter. However, he quickly changed his mind, saying he would be "glad" when the former President was "gone."
“While you were my choice in 2016, I and the world hoped that president Trump would be different and better than the candidate, but we all were greatly disappointed and it seems you are getting worse and devolving."
Public records show that Routh registered as an "unaffiliated” voter without a party in 2012 in North Carolina. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, he voted in the Democratic primary in March 2024.
Ryan Wesly Routh has not been officially named by law enforcement, nor has his supposed motive been determined.