According to CNN, sources said President Trump’s golf outing was a last-minute addition to his schedule on Sunday.
“This round was NOT on the public schedule, and the public was not informed he’d be there. So how the H*** did this Ryan Routh clown know where Trump would be and at what time? This smells REALLY bad, guys,” journalist Nick Sortor said.
🚨 NEW: President Trump’s golf outing was a “LAST MINUTE decision,” sources tell CNN
This round was NOT on the public schedule, and the public was not informed he’d be there.
So how the HELL did this Ryan Routh clown know where Trump would be and at what time?
This smells… pic.twitter.com/2sHZ4Ngkuz
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 16, 2024
Per CNN:
Former President Donald Trump’s golf game on Sunday was a last-minute addition to his schedule, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Trump had no public events on his schedule for Sunday.
Many people questioned how the would-be assassin knew where Trump would be.
How did the assassin know where Trump was?
Golfing was not on his public schedule.
— Wyatt (@austerrewyatt1) September 16, 2024
Authorities identified the suspect as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh.
Sources said they recovered a backpack, rifle, and GoPro camera at the scene.
>> @JohnMillerCNN: All this info is preliminary. But "in the area of the shooting, sources say they recovered a backpack and a semi-automatic rifle… and a GoPro camera." The camera suggests "that this individual may have wanted to record himself in the first person." pic.twitter.com/ACliktYvHg
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 15, 2024
“Sources I spoke with informed me that the USSS advance team was scouting the holes ahead of President Trump as he was golfing. Agents spotted the suspect in the tree line in possession of a semi-automatic rifle which they believe to be an AK-47 or similar,” Charlie Kirk said.
“The agents either exchanged fire with him, or else it was only the agents shooting at the suspect—this remains unclear. The suspect immediately fled into the trees and initially managed to evade agents, but was quickly apprehended and is now in law enforcement custody,” he added.
Sources I spoke with informed me that the USSS advance team was scouting the holes ahead of President Trump as he was golfing. Agents spotted the suspect in the tree line in possession of a semi-automatic rifle which they believe to be an AK-47 or similar. The agents either…
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 15, 2024
A former FBI assistant director told Newsweek that the suspect may have had inside information on Trump’s whereabouts.
“Chris Swecker says there is a ‘scary’ possibility someone else was involved,” Collin Rugg wrote.
“The biggest question to answer is: ‘How did the would-be assassin know to be at that location at that time?'” Swecker told the outlet.
“There are only three possible answers: He guessed and got very lucky; he conducted surveillance on Trump and followed him to the golf course or he had inside information about Trump’s schedule,” he added.
“The last answer is scary and has implications that another person was involved,” he noted.
“During an interview with Fox News, Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder said the ‘million dollar question’ is how Routh knew where Trump was going to be,” Rugg said.
WATCH:
NEW: Former assistant FBI director says would-be Trump assas*n Ryan Routh may have had inside information on Trump’s schedule.
Chris Swecker says there is a “scary” possibility someone else was involved.
“The biggest question to answer is: ‘How did the would-be assassin know to… pic.twitter.com/P4yGXLU7h8
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 16, 2024
Per Newsweek:
Swecker, who retired from the FBI in 2006 and is now an attorney based in Charlotte, North Carolina, said that it may be time to tone down some of the rhetoric on the former president.
“There is little doubt that the demonization of Trump is resonating with the fringe elements who are mentally unstable and highly impressionable, so it may be time to tone it down a bit,” he said.
He said Routh had been involved in some “strange quests,” including trying to get Afghan fighters into Ukraine to fight the Russians.
“We know this suspect has posted about Trump being a danger to democracy and he has been active on some strange quests: visiting Ukraine to round up Afghan fighters so motive is coming into focus—he is a wing nut who dislikes authority, based on his arrest record for resisting arrest in a two-hour standoff,” Swecker said.
That is a reference to an incident in 2002, when Routh was driving without a valid license and was stopped by police. He then sped off and barricaded himself inside his own roofing company for three hours before surrendering.