Activists Reported Alleged Gunman’s Activity While Overseas

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Well, buckle up, folks, because the Ryan Routh story just got a whole lot darker. Turns out, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on September 15, 2024, wasn’t some lone wolf acting out of the blue. No, this guy had a whole history of criminal behavior that humanitarian advocates had flagged over a year ago. Believe it or not, it seems the U.S. government might’ve known about it, thanks to warnings from a former CIA targeter, Sarah Adams.

Adams, now an investigator and author, shared some eyebrow-raising details with Townhall.com that paint Routh as far more than just a deranged gunman. In fact, Adams issued a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for Routh on June 2, 2023, warning humanitarian groups and, more shockingly, the U.S. Department of State about his criminal activities. According to the BOLO, Routh was allegedly running a human trafficking scheme—instructing Afghans to illegally travel to Iran under false promises that they could join the Ukrainian Legion to fight against Russia. Spoiler alert: no such pathway existed, and Routh left these vulnerable people stranded in Iran. Just think about that for a second—this guy was trafficking Afghans into a war zone with zero intention of helping them.

Let’s get this straight: humanitarians on the ground, trying to help people caught in two brutal conflicts (Ukraine and Afghanistan), had already labeled Routh a bad actor. His name was passed around in multiple humanitarian circles, and yet, here we are in 2024, dealing with the fallout from a man who had been flagged as a serious problem last year. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? How much did official entities, like the State Department, actually know about this guy before he showed up at Trump’s golf course with an AK-47?

Adams’ BOLO wasn’t some casual heads-up either. It outlined Routh’s use of various social media platforms, his website, and even his phone numbers, warning the humanitarian community to stay far away from him. He had a reputation in those circles and not a good one—ostracized by many who were working to help Ukrainians and Afghans. So, how did someone with such a checkered past manage to fly under the radar long enough to attempt an assassination?

Even more chilling is the contrast between what was known in the humanitarian world and what Routh’s own family claims. His son, who said he never saw any troubling behavior from his father, now has to reconcile that image with the reality: his dad was a wanted man in certain circles, linked to some deeply disturbing criminal behavior. It raises serious questions about how proficient Routh was at hiding his true self from those closest to him while showing his worst side to those trying to do good in the world.

And what about his online presence? Routh was active on social media and messaging platforms like Signal, WhatsApp, and Viber. While he had already burned bridges with legitimate groups, we now have to wonder whether he used these channels to communicate his plan to assassinate Trump. Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision, or did someone know this was coming?

There’s a whole lot here that law enforcement and investigators will need to dig into, but one thing’s for sure: the red flags were waving long before Routh’s AK-47 was found in the bushes at Trump’s golf course. The real question now is, why didn’t anyone in power do something about it?

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