Did Ryan Wesley Routh Vote For Trump In 2016? Here's What He Claimed On Social Media

For the second time during the ongoing U.S. election campaign, former president Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old, was quickly identified by law enforcement. The incident, which again caused widespread media attention, sparked investigations into Routh’s political motivations and history.A Complex Political History EmergesBy carefully examining Routh's online persona, especially his since-canceled account on X (formerly known as Twitter) account, ABC NEWS Verify was able to piece together the suspect's political involvement in the years preceding the attempted murder. Even though he has deleted a large portion of his digital history, archival evidence shows that he has a conflicting political background. It seems that Routh's political views have evolved over time, straddling party boundaries in a way that is yet elusive. His social media activity demonstrated a haphazard voyage through multiple political beliefs, at times identifying with personalities on the left and right.Routh's Initial Support for TrumpIn the beginning, Routh had stated that she had supported Trump in the 2016 election. At the time, Trump's campaign won him a wide variety of followers and propelled him to the president. But by 2020, Routh's perspective on Trump had clearly soured.Routh Might Not Have Voted At All In 2016In 2016, Routh abstained from voting for Trump. According to North Carolina Voters Information, he cast no votes in 2016. Despite living in Kaaawa, Hawaii and operating a small company there for the previous six or more years, he cast an unlawful vote in North Carolina on Election Day, March 5, 24 in the Democratic Primary. He is now registered to vote in Guilford, North Carolina. Ryan Routh last cast a ballot in the general election in 2012, which was before his fraudulent vote in March 2024—possibly for Joe Biden, given X's postings indicating his strong support for both Joe Biden and Ukraine.Support for Democratic Figures and Mixed AllegiancesRouth expressed support for Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who was running for the party's presidential nomination, in March 2020. His support for Gabbard was noteworthy, particularly considering that she had formerly belonged to the Democratic Party before quitting in later years due to the party's ideological change. Since then, Gabbard has backed Trump in the impending election. Complicating matters, Routh had at the same time shown support for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a well-known member of the Democratic Party's progressive wing. His support for Gabbard and Sanders contradicted his prior endorsement of Trump and indicated a growing detachment from the former president.Routh's political opinions changed again by the middle of 2020. He bemoaned the fact that Joe Biden was not fielded with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Yet, he then repeated Trump's disparaging remarks on Biden, referring to the former president as "Sleepy Joe." For a brief while, Routh appeared receptive to a second term under Trump.Routh's Break with TrumpBut by June 2020, Routh appeared to have lost all faith in Trump based on her social media statements. He made disparaging remarks about the outgoing president, declaring that he would be "glad when Trump is gone." This comment revealed a growing distaste for the president's activities throughout the second part of his administration and highlighted a dramatic contrast to his past support for the president.Inconsistent Donations and Political ActivityAccording to financial records, Routh gave a little amount to the Democratic fundraising website ActBlue in both 2019 and 2020. At least during this time, these gifts suggested a stronger affinity with Democratic interests, as did his critiques of Trump. Routh's political identification, however, kept changing. He suggested that Republican contenders Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy team up for the 2024 race in a tweet sent in January of that year. This revealed his shifting political preferences, as he went from endorsing Democratic candidates to offering advice to Republican leaders.Recent Events and Continued Anti-Trump SentimentsRouth's latest social media behavior clearly demonstrated his continued distaste for Trump. He attacked Trump in July 2024 for failing to show up for Corey Comperatore's burial, who had passed away during the initial attempt on Trump's life earlier that year. In contrast to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he asked to attend the burial, Routh's posts highlighted the former president's lack of respect for the deceased.A Political EnigmaThere are many details about Routh's digital past that have come to light, but his purported attempt at Trump's assassination lacks a definite purpose. His political career shows a very conflicted person whose allegiances and convictions changed over time, finally prompting a severe measure. From his early endorsement of Trump to his eventual denial of the former president, Routh's background presents a picture of a man with conflicting political beliefs. His actions indicate a conflicting political ideology within him, but the precise motivations for the purported assassination attempt are still unknown.