online as a man who built housing for homeless people in Hawaii, tried to recruit fighters for , and described his support and then disdain for Donald Trump 鈥� even urging Iran to kill him.
鈥淵ou are free to assassinate Trump,鈥� Routh wrote of Iran in an apparently self-published book in 2023, 鈥淯kraine鈥檚 Unwinnable War,鈥� which described the former president as a 鈥渇ool鈥� and 鈥渂uffoon鈥� for both the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots and the 鈥渢remendous blunder鈥� of leaving the Iran nuclear deal.
Routh wrote that he once voted for Trump and must take part of the blame for the 鈥渃hild that we elected for our next president that ended up being brainless.鈥�
after authorities say he stalked the GOP presidential nominee as he golfed in West Palm Beach, Florida, with a AK-47-style rifle in an apparent assassination attempt thwarted by the Secret Service.
Three officials who identified Routh spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and search for a motive.
Through his voluminous online footprint, public records, news interviews and videos, a picture emerged of Routh as a man with a criminal past, plenty of outrage and shifting politics.
His over 500 posts on X showed his views ranging from the left to the right, including support for politicians such as Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Nicki Haley, as well as Trump.
Voter records show he registered as an unaffiliated voter in North Carolina in 2012, most recently voting in person during the state鈥檚 Democratic primary in March.
Routh also made 19 small donations totaling $140 since 2019 to ActBlue, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates, according to federal campaign finance records.
In a tweet in June 2020, after , Routh said then-President Trump could win reelection by issuing an executive order to prosecute police misconduct. However, in recent years, his posts appear to have soured on Trump, and he expressed support for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democratic presidential nominee.
鈥淒EMOCRACY is on the ballot and we cannot lose,鈥� he wrote on X in April in support of Biden.
In July, following the assassination attempt on Trump at a , a post on Routh鈥檚 account urged Biden and Harris to visit those wounded in the shooting and attend the funeral of the firefighter who was killed.
鈥淭rump will never do anything for them,鈥� Routh wrote. 鈥淪how the world what compassion and humanity is all about.鈥�
In his book, listed on Amazon and viewed by the AP, Routh noted: 鈥淚 get so tired of people asking me if I am a Democrat or Republican as I refuse to be put in a category.鈥�
The world would be better it were run by women, he wrote in the book that has links to his website and X account, because 鈥渋t seems that the totality of the world鈥檚 problems revolve around men with massive insecurity and childlike intelligence and behavior.鈥�
He posted frequently on social media about Ukraine and other conflicts, and he had a website seeking to raise money and recruit volunteers to fight for Kyiv. A photo of the wiry, wild-haired Routh on his site shows him smiling, wearing a T-shirt and jacket adorned with U.S. flags.
鈥淔ight and die to stop aggression,鈥� he posted on X in February 2023 about Ukraine. 鈥淓veryone should be outraged and helping.鈥�
鈥淭his is about good versus evil,鈥� Routh said in a video circulating online. And in a tweet, he said, 鈥淚 am going to fight and die for Ukraine.鈥�
Video shot by the AP showed Routh at a small demonstration in Kyiv鈥檚 Independence Square in in April 2022, two months after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of the country.
A placard he was holding said: 鈥淲e cannot tolerate corruption and evil for another 50+ years. End Russia for our kids.鈥� He wore a blue vest with the U.S., flag on the back.
That same day, he also visited a makeshift memorial to 鈥淔oreigners killed by Putin.鈥�
But Routh never served in the Ukrainian army or worked with its military, said Oleksandr Shahuri of the Foreigners Coordination Department of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Command.
Shahuri told AP that Routh periodically contacted the International Legion of Ukraine with what he described as 鈥渘onsensical ideas鈥� that 鈥渃an best be described as delusional.鈥�
Routh appeared in a video standing in front of the U.S. Capitol and expressing frustration that Ukraine wasn鈥檛 taking more of the Afghan commandos he tried to recruit.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy,鈥� he told news website Semafor in 2023.
Earlier this year, he even tweeted at singers Bruno Mars and Dave Matthews to organize a 鈥淲e are the World鈥�-style effort for Kyiv. 鈥淲e need an emotional tribute song for Ukraine as support stalls,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 have lyrics and music.鈥�
Routh also tweeted to former basketball star Dennis Rodman, asking for help lifting sanctions against North Korea to ease tension with the country. In another, he invites a dozen protesters in Hong Kong to stay at his Hawaii home to escape a Chinese crackdown.
Routh lived most of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina, where his run-ins with law enforcement included a 2002 felony conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction. While court records don鈥檛 give details about the case, a newspaper story at the time said the arrest followed a three-hour, armed standoff with police at a roofing business. State records listed him as the owner.
Records also show Routh was convicted of a felony count of possession of stolen goods in 2010, as well as misdemeanors including illegally carrying a concealed weapon, a hit-and-run incident, speeding and driving with a revoked license. In each case, a judge sentenced Routh to either probation or a suspended sentence, allowing him to escape prison time.
It was not immediately clear how Routh was able to obtain a weapon. In most states, it is generally forbidden for a person convicted of a felony to purchase or possess a firearm.
In 2018, Routh moved to the small town of Kaaawa, Hawaii, about 45 minutes outside Honolulu, to go in business with his adult son building small wooden sheds. According to his LinkedIn page, the structures would 鈥渉elp address the highest homelessness rate in the United States due to unparalleled gentrification.鈥�
鈥淎ll of us are tired of seeing the homeless people all over the island with nowhere to go,鈥� he told Honolulu鈥檚 Star-Advertiser in 2019.
No one answered the door Sunday at his blue stucco house near the beach that is colorfully painted with wooden cutouts of fish. A white pickup truck with a Biden-Harris bumper sticker and a flat tire was in the driveway.
Neighbor Christopher Tam said Routh kept to himself and was respectful, cordial and kind.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just been very surprising,鈥� Tam said. 鈥淚f he did have anything to do with it, it鈥檚 very shocking to us.鈥�
