“Shocking Twist: Ryan Routh Denies Attempted Assassination Plot Against Donald Trump!”

Ryan Routh, 58, pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to an alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump at the former president’s golf club in Florida. Routh appeared briefly in federal court in West Palm Beach on Monday, where his lawyers entered a not guilty plea on his behalf during a five-minute arraignment overseen by Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who previously signed the Mar-a-Lago search warrant in the classified documents case.

Initially, Routh had been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number following the incident at Trump International Golf Club on September 15. However, last week, he was hit with three new charges: attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and assaulting a federal officer, adding to the previous firearms charges. Routh is currently being held without bail.

Prosecutors argue that Routh was planning to assassinate Trump and pointed to a list in his possession, which included dates and venues where Trump had appeared or was expected to appear from August to October. They also claim Routh had traveled near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and the golf course multiple times in the month before his arrest. According to court filings, Routh had sent a letter to a civilian witness several months earlier, writing, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you.”

On the day of the incident, Trump was playing golf when a Secret Service agent noticed a gun barrel sticking out from the tree line near the sixth green. The agent fired toward the rifle and saw Routh flee the area, entering his nearby vehicle. Authorities later discovered a digital camera, two bags, and a loaded SKS-style 7.62×39 rifle with a scope at the scene. Trump was unharmed and was quickly moved to a secure location by Secret Service agents.