The man charged with attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September, Ryan Routh, is facing new charges in the state of Florida over a car crash that occurred as he was apprehended by law enforcement. The incident unfolded as officers attempted to detain Routh, resulting in a high-stakes pursuit that ended in a collision.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the new charge on Wednesday, which she described as a “lack of cooperation and support from federal agents” that has frustrated local authorities. Moody stated that Routh fled north on the highway after he was caught by the Secret Service with a firearm near Trump’s golf course, prompting law enforcement to shut down traffic in both directions in order to apprehend him and ensure public safety. However, the lane closure led to a traffic collision that injured a six-year-old girl who was driving in a car with her family.
Moody stated that when her team began communicating with federal partners, they were immediately unwilling to allow her access to the crime scene. They also refused to cooperate in providing evidence collected at the scene, and she stopped them from accompanying witness interviews.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) echoed similar remarks, accusing federal agents of stonewalling the investigation into the attempted assassination of Trump.
The feds have stonewalled Florida’s investigation of the Trump assassination attempt at every turn, and I appreciate AG Ashley Moody and her team for plowing forward despite such resistance.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 18, 2024
The tide will turn on January 20th and we fully expect that the federal roadblocks will… https://t.co/prxzX6BizD
The Florida official pinned the incident entirely on Routh and said the child would not have been injured if Routh had cooperated with law enforcement agents.
“When Routh fled the scene and drove north into Martin County, it foreseeably caused law enforcement to shut down Interstate 95 to preserve the life and safety of others,” the affidavit says. “Routh’s actions were the cause of a horrific car crash that severely injured the minor child; Routh’s intentional act of escaping the scene of his attempted act of terrorism could have easily resulted in the death of [the child], but fortunately did not.
“Despite the federal government frustrating our efforts, which we continue to challenge in court, we found that Mr. Routh’s actions caused catastrophic injuries to a six-year-old girl. My heart breaks for the child and her family, and while we continue to seek justice for President Trump, we will fight just as hard to ensure Mr. Routh pays for the tragedy his criminal actions brought on this Florida family,” she continued.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and assault on a federal officer. His legal team is considering an insanity defense.