The following excerpt is taken from the new book &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Butler-Untold-Assassination-Americas-Heartland/dp/1546009140/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38ZQJ31BTXE78&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yBjqsViUcuzSmJ0JQfFO_9pbEehSi-8OfBIfkv9uv-Eg2YesGVnshEb31LRcm_VyNV90yUlv9buV5-Eg4h3ANjvLeboA5BuUjGHF1yBXHxfXZoSn8Vchp7NkJJKFCPPN0JdICFPkw8GWPPCc2BBMMPqe_qSkBWh_hh_CkKUxGhVJA_Ayn3SjyWBemTcvmDq42l4iaEdSi5Ih0Lab_rtq0w.UQCO-toWBwgEMYzS_IK8UvoFWqL6oOP4CgnKEYfwSsE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=salena+zito+butler&amp;qid=1751464363&amp;sprefix=salena+zito+butle%2Caps%2C170&amp;sr=8-1">Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America&#8217;s Heartland,&#8221;</a> by Salena Zito (July 2025, Center Street/Hachette Book Group)
* * *
<h3>They Shoot Presidents in Butler</h3>
George Washington was less than pleased.
It was December 26, 1753, well past dusk and the temperature had dropped dramatically as darkness fell. Thanks to the drop in temperature, the mix of sleet and snow would make travel perilous in the deeply forested wilderness of what is now present-day Butler County.
But Washington and his guide Christopher Gist were left with little choice; they had to move, and move quickly.
They needed to make their way to the forks of the Ohio River. Days later, Washington, then a young major in the Virginia militia, would write in his journal that fear coursed through his veins and spurred the urgency of their flight after he was nearly killed by an assassin’s bullet that whizzed past his ear just hours earlier.
Both he and Gist knew his assassin would be back to finish the job.
<div id="attachment_942151" style="width: 417px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/salena-zito/butler/9781668649909/?lens=center-street"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-942151" class="wp-image-942151 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-407x576.jpg" alt="Cover credit: Center Street/Hachette Book Group" width="407" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-407x576.jpg 407w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-212x300.jpg 212w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-768x1086.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-1086x1536.jpg 1086w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-1448x2048.jpg 1448w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/MixCollage-02-Jul-2025-09-02-AM-8755-scaled.jpg 1810w" sizes="(max-width: 407px) 100vw, 407px" /></a>Cover credit: Center Street/Hachette Book Group</div>
At twenty-one years old, Washington was on his first diplomatic mission, with direct orders from the Crown tucked in his saddlebag to basically tell the French to get off King George II’s land or face war with England.
In 1753, the British and French Empires were in the early stages of clashing over their colonial possessions. Britain’s North American colonies were mostly packed along the Atlantic coastline and then moved westward toward the Allegheny Mountains.
France’s colonial holdings were in the center spine of the country that began in New Orleans and ran up along the Mississippi River into the Great Lakes region toward the St. Lawrence River. Both empires claimed control of the vast expanse of what was then known as the Ohio Country, which began in present-day western Pennsylvania and West Virginia and spread due west across the states of Ohio and Indiana.
Washington was at the center of that clash of royal aspirations, which were largely spurred by greed in the form of an immense royal grant to the Ohio Company, whose largest investor was Robert Dinwiddie, Virginia’s royal (lieutenant) governor and the man who sent Washington on the mission.
The young Virginian’s destination was Fort Le Boeuf, just fifteen miles south of Lake Erie. In Washington’s possession was a note from London, signed by King George II, that read: “If the French were found to be building forts on English soil, they should be peacefully asked to depart. If they failed to comply, however, we do hereby strictly charge and command you to drive them off by force of arms.”
The trip from Virginia had been a daunting 250 miles of untouched wilderness. It involved scaling high ice-crusted ridges, slogging through thick brush, swamps, and dense forests with mounds of heavy snow, and navigating icy waterways. The journey was as difficult as one could imagine, not just because of the terrain but also because of a weather system that had pummeled Washington and Gist the entire way.
Washington arrived at Fort Le Boeuf on December 11. The fort system was rudimentary at best, made of scrap bark and planks and consisting of four buildings. The young soldier and French commander Capt. Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre had a cordial, diplomatic conversation despite Washington’s delivery of the Crown’s demand that the French vacate the Ohio Valley immediately.
Saint-Pierre made clear that he was not intimidated by the British and retained every right to arrest their traders who were poaching on French territory. “As to the summons you sent me to retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it.”
Four days later, Saint-Pierre handed Washington a sealed message for Dinwiddie. It was then that Washington discovered that, although Saint-Pierre had filled Washington’s canoe with a generous amount of supplies for the journey home, the French commander had also bribed Washington’s Indian guides with food and drink to stay behind.
Washington was furious. He had not only been deceived by Saint-Pierre; he had also observed enough during his four-day wait for the commander to respond to Dinwiddie to know that France was building a large-scale fort system throughout the disputed territory. He also observed that they were building a formidable military operation, which was prepared to defend the land the French would take over.
Washington and Gist set off, anxious to deliver the news to Dinwiddie. However, their horses were so debilitated by the journey to Fort Le Boeuf that the men had to abandon them and continue on foot.
On the journey toward the outpost known as Murdering Town (in present-day Butler), they were heavily burdened by their backpacks. Along the way, they encountered several French Indians who quickly — probably too quickly, in hindsight — offered to help get them to the forks of the Ohio River. The battering snow and sleet, freezing cold, and rough terrain had worn Washington down, and when one of the Indian guides offered to carry his backpack, he took him up on it.
Gist, a skilled surveyor and frontier guide, immediately sensed something was off about the situation. He wasn’t wrong. As soon as the group came to a clearing, one of the Indians sprinted ahead of them into a meadow and then turned to face the two men before firing point-blank at Washington from fifteen paces.
The exact amount by which the French-aligned Indian missed Washington is unclear. Washington’s diary entry is vague, but the intent was obvious. The Indian guide wanted the young Virginian dead.
If muskets had contained rifling — grooves inside the barrel to make a bullet travel more accurately — 270 years ago, everything in the world would have changed at that moment.
There would have been no skirmish several months later in present-day Fayette County, Pennsylvania, between Washington’s regiment and French soldiers — a skirmish that led to the first shots fired in what would quickly escalate into the French and Indian War. It was a war that ultimately led to the Revolutionary War, when the British Crown tried to tax the colonists to pay for debt incurred during the first true world war.
There would have been no General Washington, no President Washington, and we might not have the country we call America today if that bullet had been only an inch closer.
* * *
Salena Zito is a veteran political reporter with more than twenty years of award-winning experience in print and broadcast journalism. With her trusty Jeeps that have clocked well over 400,000 miles on their odometers and a refusal to travel on interstates, Zito is a reporter who harkens to an older generation of journalism, one who listens to the stories of everyday Americans in places far outside the artificial bubbles of Manhattan and the Beltway. One of the last scribes of middle America, she famously popularized the root cause of their failed coverage and underestimation of Donald Trump by the phrase coined by Brad Todd saying, “The press takes him literally, but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously, but not literally.” Zito is a national political reporter for the Washington Examiner, and a special contributor to the Washington Post. She has been a columnist for the New York Post and has contributed to The Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
Excerpted from &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Butler-Untold-Assassination-Americas-Heartland/dp/1546009140/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38ZQJ31BTXE78&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yBjqsViUcuzSmJ0JQfFO_9pbEehSi-8OfBIfkv9uv-Eg2YesGVnshEb31LRcm_VyNV90yUlv9buV5-Eg4h3ANjvLeboA5BuUjGHF1yBXHxfXZoSn8Vchp7NkJJKFCPPN0JdICFPkw8GWPPCc2BBMMPqe_qSkBWh_hh_CkKUxGhVJA_Ayn3SjyWBemTcvmDq42l4iaEdSi5Ih0Lab_rtq0w.UQCO-toWBwgEMYzS_IK8UvoFWqL6oOP4CgnKEYfwSsE&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=salena+zito+butler&amp;qid=1751464363&amp;sprefix=salena+zito+butle%2Caps%2C170&amp;sr=8-1">Butler,</a>&#8221; by Salena Zito. (Copyright 2025) Used with permission from Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA – July 13: Former president Donald Trump r

They Shoot Presidents In Butler

assassination attempt

Books

Butler

George Washington

Pennsylvania

Presidency

President Trump

A Wisconsin teenager charged with the murder of his parents was allegedly plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to the FBI.
An FBI <a href="https://htv-prod-media.s3.amazonaws.com/files/casap-fed-sw-67f9cbaa7affd.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affidavit</a> unsealed on Sunday said that 17-year-old Nikita Casap murdered his parents as part of an alleged plan to assassinate Trump and overthrow the American government. A manifesto cited by the FBI in the affidavit revealed a plan to kill Trump in order to sow chaos in the United States.
Casap was already <a href="https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/media/0yqgp1rd/03-27-25-cider-hills-update.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under arrest</a> by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department for the murder of Tatiana Casap and stepfather Donald Mayer. Their bodies were uncovered by law enforcement officers after Casap did not show up to school for two weeks, and they were asked to perform a welfare check.
According to the FBI, they were murdered as part of Casap’s plan to kill Trump.
“He was in touch with other parties about his plan to kill the President and overthrow the government of the United States. And he paid for, at least in part, a drone and explosives to be used as a weapon of mass destruction to commit and attack. The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan,” the FBI application for a search warrant said.
“Other parties, with whom Casap was in contact, appear to have been aware of his plan and actions and to have provided assistance to Casap in carrying them out,” the agency added.
The affidavit was provided in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to show probable cause that Casap was engaged in a conspiracy to kill the president and an attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction.
The FBI investigation said that Casap had adopted radical views, and wanted to kill Trump and possibly Vice President JD Vance to “bring some chaos.” He allegedly wanted to bring down the government because he believed that the American government was controlled by Jews.
“It is clear that the jews control all of the White countries, and it is clear that they promote White genocide and degeneracy. This for the white race to survive, it is necessary to accelerate the collapse of the countries,” a portion of his alleged manifesto included in the affidavit said.
The manifesto also included the line, “HAIL HITLER HAIL THE WHITE RACE HAIL VICTORY.” 
The FBI said that Casap planned to flee to Ukraine after the attack and was communicating with a male in Russia about the plans.

President Trump Meets With El Salvador President Nayib Bukele At The White House

Wisconsin Teen Accused Of Murdering Parents As Part Of Plot To Assassinate Trump

Crime

Donald Trump

Murder

U.S.

Wisconsin

President Donald Trump may have replaced a portrait of former President Barack Obama with an artist&#8217;s rendering of the moment he stood and raised his fist — shouting, &#8220;Fight! Fight! Fight!&#8221; — after a would-be assassin shot him at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The White House shared a short video on Tuesday showing tourists walking through the halls near the new painting, which showed Trump with his face bloodied and his fist in the air, surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents.
&#8220;Some new artwork at the White House,&#8221; the caption read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Some new artwork at the White House 👀 <a href="https://t.co/l6u5u7k82T">pic.twitter.com/l6u5u7k82T</a>
&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1910764795382349948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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It was Katie Pavlich who tipped people off as to what might have been moved to accommodate the new acquisition: &#8220;I’m pretty sure this is where the Obama portrait was.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m pretty sure this is where the Obama portrait was. <a href="https://t.co/VSduieUK0l">https://t.co/VSduieUK0l</a>
&mdash; Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) <a href="https://twitter.com/KatiePavlich/status/1910768365028663576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A few suggested in the comments that the new art might be hanging across from the Obama portrait rather than in its place, but the reactions flooded in all the same.
&#8220;Wow &#8211; a much-needed upgrade from the last piece displayed there! Never forget,&#8221; Jenn Pellegrino said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wow &#8211; a much-needed upgrade from the last piece displayed there! Never forget. ✊🏻🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/RWyBAKjmOj">https://t.co/RWyBAKjmOj</a>
&mdash; Jenn Pellegrino 🇺🇸 (@JennPellegrino) <a href="https://twitter.com/JennPellegrino/status/1910822065780760804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Trump also raised eyebrows after it was revealed early on that he had hung a framed copy of the New York Post&#8217;s cover page featuring his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hangs-mugshot-outside-oval-office-so-bad-a-that-its-surreal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mug shot</a>.
&#8220;New office art just dropped,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s rapid response team posted in mid-February.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New office art just dropped <a href="https://t.co/XNVfdmEHEG">pic.twitter.com/XNVfdmEHEG</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1890385341481152734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They framed Donald Trump’s mug shot and put it on the White House wall. This is so bad a** that it’s surreal,&#8221; one person posted in response to the framed mug shot.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
They framed Donald Trump’s mug shot and put it on the White House wall.
This is so bad ass that it’s surreal.<a href="https://t.co/Zm3GUl97J4">pic.twitter.com/Zm3GUl97J4</a>
&mdash; Philip Anderson (@VoteHarrisOut) <a href="https://twitter.com/VoteHarrisOut/status/1890459351334195677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Democrats really thought the Trump arrest and mugshot would end him politically. Instead he now has the mugshot picture hung just outside the Oval Office,&#8221; OutKick&#8217;s Clay Travis added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Democrats really thought the Trump arrest and mugshot would end him politically. Instead he now has the mugshot picture hung just outside the Oval Office. <a href="https://t.co/3w8lLfDKQe">pic.twitter.com/3w8lLfDKQe</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1890467839884103951?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Everyone who walks into the Oval office has to see Trump’s epic mugshot,” Libs of TikTok posted. “It’s a reminder of what they did to him and why he won.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Everyone who walks into the Oval office has to see Trump’s epic mugshot.
It’s a reminder of what they did to him and why he won. <a href="https://t.co/22qJKDSgqC">pic.twitter.com/22qJKDSgqC</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1890461193980031157?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And from the Media Research Center: &#8220;Legendary! President Trump hangs his mugshot in the White House. Can’t wait for the leftist media meltdown.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Legendary! President Trump hangs his mugshot in the White House.
Can’t wait for the leftist media meltdown.<a href="https://t.co/JdQrfSOHkC">pic.twitter.com/JdQrfSOHkC</a>
&mdash; Media Research Center (@theMRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMRC/status/1890517044036010195?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Donald Trump Injured During Shooting At Campaign Rally In Butler, PA

Trump May Have Replaced Obama’s Portrait In The White House. Here’s What’s Hanging There Now.

Trump May Have Replaced Obama's Portrait In The White House. Here's What's Hanging There Now.

Barack Obama

Executive

Politics

White House

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Thursday morning that his office will charge Ryan Routh, who allegedly attempted to assassinate then-GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump on September 15, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, with attempted murder and terrorism.
Uthmeier also asserted that the Biden administration had stonewalled the investigation into the matter, and that former President Joe Biden and former Attorney General Merrick Garland had “sought to frustrate our efforts and block our investigation.”
Trump was playing a round of golf on September 15 when Routh allegedly hid in a bush on the outside of the golf course with a semi-automatic rifle. The suspect was spotted by a Secret Service agent as Trump neared the would-be assassin’s hideout.
“On September 15, 2024, Ryan Routh attempted to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” Uthmeier declared. “Shortly after the assassination attempt, Governor DeSantis signed an executive order directing the Office of Attorney General to work with our law enforcement partners and investigate Mr. Routh.”
“After 206 days of stonewalling by the federal government that stemmed from days of the Biden administration, I’m 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,” he stated. “My office, as well as our law-enforcement partners, were met with major roadblocks in prosecuting this case during Biden‘s term. Biden and his attorney general sought to frustrate our efforts and block our investigation into the man who crossed into this state and attempted to commit political violence against a Florida resident.”
“Thank God he was unsuccessful, and thank God we have Donald Trump as president again,” he stated, continuing, “The leadership of 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. We now have a federal government willing to work together to pursue justice.”
“Attempting to take the life of a former president and a leading presidential candidate isn’t just an attack on one man,” he said. “This was a political attack against our republican form of government and our shared American values. We cannot allow justice to be delayed or denied, and thanks to the president, our U.S. Attorney General, and the FBI director, we are moving forward in our pursuit.”
“Our state-wide prosecutors will work to hold this evil man accountable and keep Florida safe, strong, and free,” he concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today, my office is officially charging Ryan Routh for attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.
Thanks to the leadership of <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AGPamBondi</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FBIDirectorKash</a>, we now have a federal government willing to work with the states to pursue justice. <a href="https://t.co/HFuI2W4tdx">pic.twitter.com/HFuI2W4tdx</a>
&mdash; Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1910305585658024207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Zach Jewell contributed to this article.

TOPSHOT-US-VOTE-TRUMP-GUN-SUSPECT

Florida AG Charging Ryan Routh With Attempted Murder Of Trump, Says Biden, Garland Blocked Probe

Investigation

James Uthmeier

Joe Biden

Merrick Garland

Ron DeSantis

According to a bombshell court filing from the Department of Justice, Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the September Trump assassination attempt, communicated with a person he believed to be a Ukrainian with access to military-grade weapons and requested a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), lamenting that then-presidential nominee Donald Trump &#8220;is not good for Ukraine,&#8221; The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14583483/trump-assassination-suspect-ryan-routh-plan-details-ukraine.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday.
The DOJ court filing in the Southern District of Florida alleges that Routh messaged his contact, &#8220;send me an rpg or stinger and I will see what we can do…[Trump] is not good for Ukraine.&#8221; According to the filing, Routh added, &#8220;I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected.&#8221;
Routh&#8217;s alleged <a href="https://x.com/susancrabtree/status/1909610472644788476/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussion</a> with the Ukrainian contact also included details about the price and shipment of weapons, according to prosecutors. The suspect also allegedly sent his Ukrainian contact a photo of Trump&#8217;s plane, writing, &#8220;Trump&#8217;s plane, he gets on and off daily.&#8221; He also discussed the potential shipment of anti-aircraft weapons, such as a rocket or missile launcher, according to the filing.
&#8220;[G]oing to the local store for such an item is impossible — however you are at war so those items lost and destroyed daily — one missing would not be noticed. Do you think Trump will be good for Ukraine?????&#8221; Routh allegedly wrote.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Routh focused much of his attention on the conflict, telling <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-suspect-shooting-assassination-attempt-west-palm-beach-1954191" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek</a> in a 2022 interview that he was recruiting people to fight for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He also claimed that he fought in the war on behalf of Ukraine. However, neither of those statements have been verified.
Routh was arrested in South Florida last September and charged with the attempted assassination of Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Trump was playing a round of golf on September 15 when Routh allegedly hid in a bush on the outside of the golf course with a semi-automatic rifle. The suspect was spotted by a Secret Service agent as Trump neared the attempted assassin&#8217;s hideout. Routh allegedly fled after the agent opened fire and was arrested in Martin County less than an hour later, driving a vehicle that a witness saw leaving the area near the attempted assassination.
Investigators say that Routh wrote a letter admitting to the attempted assassination of Trump. In the letter, Routh allegedly wrote, &#8220;This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.&#8221; Routh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-routh-pleads-not-guilty-to-assassination-attempt-on-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded not guilty</a> to multiple charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun charges.
On Monday, Routh&#8217;s legal defense asked the judge overseeing the case to suppress statements an eyewitness made to police, arguing that police set up a situation where an &#8220;irreparable misidentification&#8221; could occur, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ryan-routh-trump-second-assassination-attempt-suspect-suppress-eyewitness/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The defense alleges that the eyewitness was shown just one photo of Routh, which was taken after his arrest. Routh&#8217;s trial is scheduled to begin on September 8. He faces life in prison if convicted.

Ryan Routh

Trump Would-Be Assassin Tried To Buy A Rocket-Propelled Grenade From Ukraine: DOJ Filing

Ukraine

A new study finds that 55% of self-identified leftists thought murdering President Donald Trump would be somewhat justifiable.
The <a href="https://networkcontagion.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Network of Contagion Research Institute (NCRI)</a> joined <a href="https://sites.rutgers.edu/lee-jussim/social-perception-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab</a> to conduct the study titled “Assassination Culture: How Burning Teslas and Killing Billionaires Became a Meme Aesthetic for Political Violence,” which states that an “assassination culture” appears to be “emerging within segments of the U.S. public on the extreme left, with expanding targets now including figures such as Donald Trump,” The Federalist <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2025/04/07/survey-55-of-self-identified-leftists-say-killing-trump-is-justifiable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>.
“These attitudes are not fringe — they reflect an emergent assassination culture, grounded in far-left authoritarianism and increasingly normalized in digital discourse,” the report declares.
The report states that 55% of respondents who viewed themselves as left-of-center said the murder of Trump could be somewhat justified; 48% said the same of Elon Musk. Among all respondents, 38% said it would be somewhat justified if Trump were assassinated, while 31% said the same about Musk.
The report claims the social media platform BlueSky “plays a significant and predictive role in amplifying radical ideation.”
“NCRI also found that users are increasingly tying the ‘memification’ of (Luigi) Mangione with calls for political violence against Trump, Musk and others, ‘reflecting the growing cyber-social presence of assassination culture,'&#8221; The Federalist reported.
“This report points to disturbingly high levels of support for political violence, particularly targeting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” the report asserts. “Across survey responses, nearly one-third of respondents—and a significantly higher share of left-leaning respondents—expressed some degree of justification for acts of lethal violence.”
“Unless political and cultural leadership explicitly confronts and condemns this trend, NCRI assesses a growing probability of real-world escalation,” the report warns. “Given the current economic volatility and institutional distrust, the online normalization of political violence may increasingly translate into offline action.”

Donald Trump Injured During Shooting At Campaign Rally

55% Of Leftists Say They Could ‘Somewhat Justify’ A Trump Assassination: Study

George W. Bush

Leftists

Ronald Reagan

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt torched an Associated Press reporter during Tuesday’s briefing, telling him it was “insulting” that he’d attempted to test her understanding of economics.
The reporter posed a question about the tariffs President Donald Trump has threatened to levy against multiple nations around the globe — tariffs that his administration says are designed to bring about trade deals that are ultimately more balanced and fair — and claimed that they would just be another “tax” that hurt American consumers.
Leavitt pushed back immediately, explaining that the goal was to reach a balance where other nations were not placing massive tariffs on American goods without consequence.
“I think it&#8217;s insulting that you are trying to test my knowledge of economics &#8230; I now regret giving a question to the Associated Press,” Leavitt added.
Adding insult to injury, the photographer who took the iconic photo of President Donald Trump just after his attempted assassination at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally has won a prestigious award for that image, but is no longer allowed to cover the president.
The photo that captured the moment when Trump stood up — face bloodied and fist raised — as Secret Service agents attempted to rush him off the stage, <a href="https://x.com/whca/status/1899222143746924984" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was awarded</a> Political Photo of the Year by the White House News Photographers Association. But because photographer Evan Vucci is employed by The Associated Press — and his outlet has been banned from the White House — he can no longer cover President Trump.
Vucci complained about the scenario in a <a href="https://x.com/evanvucci/status/1899458557277249877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on X, arguing that his photo was proof that he and his outlet — which he claimed was “nonpartisan” — were needed in that space.
&#8220;This photo underscores the importance of eyewitness journalism and AP’s legacy of documenting the presidency,&#8221; Vucci posted, adding, &#8220;I look forward to the day I can once again cover President Trump alongside my colleagues. Now more than ever, independent, nonpartisan photojournalism is essential.&#8221;
The AP was banned from the White House over a refusal to update its style guide to include the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ap-indefinitely-barred-from-white-house-over-use-of-gulf-of-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulf of America</a>, as it was recently renamed by President Donald Trump via executive order.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich explained, &#8220;While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One.&#8221;
&#8220;Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration,&#8221; Budowich continued, also arguing that the AP&#8217;s refusal to make the change was &#8220;not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.&#8221;

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds Daily Briefing

Press Sec Torches AP Reporter For Trying To ‘Test’ Her On Economics

Associated Press

Gulf of America

Karoline Leavitt

Media

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on a golf course in September appeared in federal court on Friday where his attorneys claimed that the government was withholding evidence.
The attorneys made the arguments at the Alto Lee Adams Federal Courthouse in Fort Pierce in front of Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the case.
Ryan Routh was charged in September for the alleged attempt as he hid on the golf course at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach while the president was playing.
The defense requested to test fire the rifle that Routh had with him at the golf course, arguing that it may not have been in good enough to condition to fire a long-range shot, according to <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/local/suspect-in-trump-golf-course-assassination-attempt-appears-in-court-amid-evidence-dispute-ryan-routh-fort-pierce-south-florida-president-donald-trump-march-7-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS 12</a>.
&#8220;Is it your theory that the weapon could not have fired within the distance alleged?&#8221; Cannon asked.
&#8220;It is old, and we want our expert to determine is it operable, is it accurate, what kind of distance can it reach?&#8221; Defense attorney Kristy Militello responded.
Prosecutors strongly objected to the request.
Routh&#8217;s appearance in court comes after the president told reporters at the White House this week that he had plans to release a report on the different attempts that were made on his life last year.
&#8220;They are giving me a report next week sometime, and I do believe I&#8217;ll be releasing, I want to release the report,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;You had one who had three apps, two of which were foreign, supposedly, and who has the biggest white shoe law firm in Pennsylvania, even though they don&#8217;t live in necessarily a white shoe area. What&#8217;s that all about?&#8221;
&#8220;The other one had seven or six cell phones, and I don&#8217;t have six cell phones,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And why would somebody have six cell phones? So we&#8217;re going to be releasing a report on that soon.&#8221;
Trump said that the lack of information about what happened makes him suspicious.
&#8220;When you have three apps and two of them are foreign and you had an FBI that wouldn&#8217;t report on it, they didn&#8217;t want to say why, I would say that could be suspicious,&#8221; he said. &#8220;On the second one, he had six cell phones, that&#8217;s a lot of cell phones, and a couple of them had some strange markings on them. So yeah, I want to find out, and I would be willing to release it.&#8221;

Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Appears In Court

Courts

A private investigator from Pennsylvania is alleging that President Donald Trump&#8217;s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was not acting alone — and that there may be others planning to pick up where he left off.
Doug Hagmann told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/27/us-news/would-be-trump-assassin-thomas-matthew-crooks-may-have-had-accomplice-data-shows/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a> that he and six others have been investigating the case since shortly after the shooting at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13 — and said that after interviewing over 100 people, they were convinced that a &#8220;criminal network&#8221; had played a role in the attempt.
&#8220;We don’t think he acted alone. This took a lot of coordination,&#8221; Hagmann said. &#8220;In my view, Crooks was handled by more than one individual and he was used for this [assassination attempt.] And I wouldn’t preclude the possibility that there were people at the rally itself helping him.&#8221;
Hagmann also alleged that the FBI might be withholding information about the case, telling the Post that he&#8217;d been shown the door several times — by either security personnel or federal agents — as he attempted to carry out his investigation.
&#8220;One can assist in an operation like this by omission or standing down. There are people still out there involved in this case that need to be brought to justice,&#8221; he said.
According to Hagmann and his team, location data — from electronic devices that were geolocated with Crooks at multiple points leading up to the shooting — don&#8217;t add up. At least one device geolocated with Crooks that day is still pinging at a local high school, Hagmann claimed.
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), who served on the bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination, says he believes Crooks acted alone. He did agree with at least one of Hagmann&#8217;s claims, however, saying that the FBI was more of a hindrance than a help to his investigation as well.
Higgins&#8217; theory, rather than a conspiracy involving a &#8220;criminal network,&#8221; is that drugs ultimately played a role in pushing Crooks over the edge.
&#8220;Something happened to make him go crazy and that’s why I think it might have been pharmaceuticals. He performed an attempted assassination and he was committed all the way through – to death. He was not acting erratic but he was a wild lunatic at the same time, incredibly calculating and incredibly smart,&#8221; Higgins told the Post.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-VOTE

Pennsylvania PI Claims Would-Be Trump Assassin Wasn’t Working Alone

Pennsylvania PI Claims Would-Be Trump Assassin Wasn't Working Alone

Thomas Matthew Crooks

The Islamic Republic of Iran&#8217;s efforts to assassinate President Donald Trump were far more extensive than previously reported, as was the president&#8217;s fear of having another attempt on his life.
In his new forthcoming book, &#8220;Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump&#8217;s Return to Power,&#8221; Politico reporter Alex Isenstadt says that he was given &#8220;extensive access&#8221; to Trump&#8217;s inner circle during his campaign.
&#8220;Law enforcement officials warned Trump last year that Tehran had placed operatives in the U.S. with access to surface-to-air missiles,&#8221; he wrote in a report published at Axios. &#8220;Trump&#8217;s team worried that the Iranians could try to down his easily recognizable personal jet — better known as &#8216;Trump Force One&#8217; — as it was taking off or landing.&#8221;
Their concern that Iran would try to shoot down his airplane intensified after he survived a foiled assassination attempt at his golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.
The threat was so serious that at least on one occasion Secret Service made Trump fly on a different plane rather than his own.
Trump&#8217;s plane was flown as a decoy with a number of his aides on board.
There was another incident that had not been previously disclosed in which Secret Service shot down a drone that had been following Trump&#8217;s motorcade using an electromagnetic gun that disabled it.
The threats from Iran come as Trump threatened last week to unleash all hell on the country if they dared to assassinate any current or former U.S. officials.
Trump said last week that he has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-hes-left-instructions-if-iran-assassinates-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left behind instructions</a> for the U.S. military detailing what they will be ordered to do if he is assassinated by Iran.
&#8220;And that would be a terrible thing for them to do,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Not because of me, because if they did that, they would be obliterated. That would be the end. I’ve left instructions — if they do it, they get obliterated. There won’t be anything left.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reimposing-his-maximum-pressure-campaign-on-iran">Trump Reimposing His ‘Maximum Pressure’ Campaign On Iran</a>

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Iran Placed Terrorists In US With Access To Surface-To-Air Missiles To Take Down Trump Plane: Report

Iran

terrorist

The mother of a six-year-old girl named Mia, who was severely injured during a car accident apparently <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/treasure-coast/region-st-lucie-county/girl-unresponsive-3-months-after-crash-caused-by-suspect-in-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">caused</a> by alleged attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh, says her daughter is awake and starting a rehabilitation program to &#8220;restart her brain.&#8221;
Norka Pardo was in a vehicle with her daughter Mia Rosalie Monreal, her youngest son, and her boyfriend when they got into a terrible accident on Interstate 95. According to Florida Attorney General <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/treasure-coast/region-st-lucie-county/girl-unresponsive-3-months-after-crash-caused-by-suspect-in-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashley Moody</a>, the crash happened during law enforcement&#8217;s apprehension and arrest of Routh.
Mia had to be airlifted to a hospital for surgery and then went to St. Mary&#8217;s Medical Center for a month and a half, WPTV reported. The young child suffered a severe brain injury and was in a coma for a month, Pardo told the news station.
In an update posted on Christmas Eve to a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/provide-relief-for-families-essential-needs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page set up for the family by a friend, Pardo said Mia was admitted to Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital on December 18, &#8220;for the program of &#8216;Disorders of Consciousness.'&#8221;
&#8220;We have been waiting for this point of her recovery process for a couple of months now and we are glad we are finally here,&#8221; she wrote.
&#8220;In Mia&#8217;s current state, her eyes are open but there&#8217;s a severe lack of awareness and responsiveness,&#8221; Pardo continued. &#8220;For the next 3-4 weeks, the program will consist of intense therapy to restart her brain. Depending on how she progresses, It will determine the next stage of her rehabilitation or if we will be heading home.&#8221;
Pardo asked for prayers so the family can continue to see improvements and signed off, &#8220;I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and a Happy New Year&#8217;s. God bless!&#8221;
In addition to charges stemming from the assassination attempt, Florida has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-hits-ryan-routh-with-attempted-murder-charge-after-alleged-trump-assassination-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> Routh with attempted murder over the car crash that so severely injured Mia.
“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,” Moody <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-hits-ryan-routh-with-attempted-murder-charge-after-alleged-trump-assassination-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> earlier this month. “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.”
Pardo said she wants justice for Mia. &#8220;None of that is going to fix anything,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/treasure-coast/region-st-lucie-county/girl-unresponsive-3-months-after-crash-caused-by-suspect-in-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> WPTV. &#8220;She&#8217;s still in the hospital, we&#8217;re still going through this, but I just hope he pays for what he did.&#8221;
Pardo has reportedly been taking off of work to be with her daughter in the hospital. The <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/provide-relief-for-families-essential-needs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fundraiser</a> for the family has so far brought in about $24,000, with a goal of $30,000.

GofundMe

Mother Of Six-Year-Old Injured In Crash Caused By Attempted Trump Assassin Shares Hopeful Update

Attempted Trump Assassin Caused Crash That Put 6YO In Coma; Mom Gives Hopeful Update On Christmas

Injury

The trial for the man accused of plotting to assassinate President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> at his West Palm Beach golf course has been delayed for months to give the lawyers more time to go over evidence in the case. 
Federal Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that the trial for 58-year-old Ryan Routh would begin on September 8, 2025, instead of the originally scheduled February 10. Routh is facing multiple charges including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. 
Cannon said that Routh’s defense team “had not meaningfully responded” to prosecutors&#8217; requests for evidence, the Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/3269503/judge-delays-trial-september-suspect-trump-assassination-attempt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Cannon also noted that Routh’s lawyers maintained that “mental health evaluations are ongoing” but hadn’t yet decided if they would be pursuing an insanity defense. 
Routh’s team has until February 3 to officially announce “an insanity defense” or “note of expert evidence of a mental condition.” 
Routh is accused of hiding in the bushes with a rifle near Trump’s golf course on September 15 allegedly with the intent of killing the then-presidential candidate. Law enforcement said Routh fled after being confronted by a Secret Service agent who shot at him after he saw a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes. 
He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-routh-charged-with-attempting-to-kill-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
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In a separate case, Florida has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-hits-ryan-routh-with-attempted-murder-charge-after-alleged-trump-assassination-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> Routh with attempted murder over a car crash that occurred as he was apprehended by law enforcement. 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said that Routh was to blame for an accident that occurred on Interstate 95 as he tried to evade law enforcement after the alleged assassination attempt. The accident, which left a 6-year-old girl severely injured, occurred as the interstate was shut down due to the chase. 
The charge was brought as part of Florida’s investigation into the attempt on Trump’s life in Florida. Moody and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis have accused federal authorities of impeding their investigation. 
 “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,” Moody said. “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.”

Trial For Ryan Routh Over Attempted Assassination Of Trump Delayed

Florida

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