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Former President Donald Trump accused the Justice Department of minimizing an alleged assassination plot against him. He made these claims following an incident earlier in September, which he labeled the second assassination attempt on his life since July.
President Trump has released a new statement, calling out Joe Biden, @KamalaHarris, the DOJ and FBI for “mishandling and downplaying the second assassination attempt on his life” since July. Missing from the statement though is the condemnation of DHS Secretary Alejandro… pic.twitter.com/r83va9MRMb
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) September 23, 2024
Allegations of Mishandling by the DOJ
In a statement made public on Monday, Trump attacked the FBI and the Justice Department under the leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the way they handled the case of Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to assassinate him. The accusations against Routh were characterized by Trump as a “slap on the wrist.” He said that because federal officials were “obsessed with ‘Getting Trump’ for so long,” they had a conflict of interest.
Trump's remarks came after Routh was charged by federal prosecutors with two felonies: possessing a handgun while incarcerated and possessing a pistol whose serial number had been destroyed. These accusations were related to an event that happened on September 15, when Trump was reportedly playing golf at the Trump International Golf Club and Routh was discovered waiting outside.
Details of the Incident
Prosecutors disclosed during a federal court hearing in Florida that Routh had come to Florida with the intention of killing Trump. The day of the event, Routh was shot by a Secret Service member who had seen him hidden in the underbrush. Shortly after, Routh was taken into custody and is required to stay there until his trial.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has not ruled out the prospect of charging Routh with other offenses. Typically, the DOJ will bring initial charges and then follow up with additional when they have relevant data and proof.
Political Context
There has been a noticeable change in tone with Trump’s recent statements. He avoided turning the assassination attempt into a political football after the first one. But in this case, he made it apparent that he was frustrated with the government agencies at play. He listed the numerous investigations the DOJ has carried out against him over the years, including the 2016 probe into Russian election meddling, the claims of improperly handling secret data, and the attempts to rig the 2020 election results.
Trump questioned the FBI's and DOJ's morality in his remarks. He recommended that the state of Florida take up the investigation and prosecution of Routh if these authorities were unable to carry out their tasks impartially. He said that Florida will file charges that would be worse than those suggested by federal officials.
Response from State Officials
In response to the circumstances, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order last week requiring a state probe into the Routh incident. Trump highlighted the necessity of state action by demanding that the state take the lead, saying, “Let Florida handle the case,” all capital letters.
On Trump's accusations, the DOJ has not yet provided a statement. Following Trump's two murder attempts, Vice President Harris and President Biden have both denounced political violence and sought out to him.
The state probe that followed Trump's charges brought to light the political atmosphere of tension and the continuous controversy around him. It is anticipated that as the court cases progress, federal and state officials would come under further scrutiny.