‘Biden and his attorney general sought to frustrate our efforts and block our investigation,’ attorney general says
Florida is charging Ryan Routh with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism for allegedly plotting to assassinate then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course in September, state attorney general James Uthmeier (R.) announced Thursday.
“After 206 days of stonewalling by the federal government that stemmed from days of the Biden administration, I am able to now announce that my office is charging Mr. Routh for the attempted first-degree murder of President Trump, as well as a charge for terrorism,” Uthmeier said in a video on X.
Routh is also facing federal charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Florida officials have long accused the Biden administration of obstructing the state’s investigation into the attempted assassination, even though Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R.) issued an executive order that authorized state agencies to pursue charges against Routh. In October, then-Florida attorney general Ashley Moody (R.) filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Biden Justice Department from interfering with the state’s probe.
Uthmeier in Thursday’s video reiterated the “major roadblocks” that his office and law enforcement partners faced during Biden’s presidency, saying that “Biden and his attorney general sought to frustrate our efforts and block our investigation into [Routh].”
“The leadership of U.S. attorney general Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel was instrumental in preserving Florida’s sovereign authority to do what is right and bring justice where it is due,” Uthmeier continued. “We now have a federal government willing to work together to pursue justice.”
Routh is scheduled to appear in federal court on September 8. The 59-year-old, who fled the golf course without firing his weapon after being spotted by the Secret Service, praised himself and previous would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks as “ready to die for freedom and democracy.”
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