The accusations stem from revelations that the suspect, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, had reportedly tried to obtain advanced military weapons from Ukraine in preparation for an attack on Trump.
In a post on X on Tuesday, April 8, Trump Jr. blasted Kyiv for failing to alert U.S. authorities about Routh's attempt to source weapons through contacts he believed were tied to Ukraine's military.
'If you think it's bad that Ukraine never said thank you for everything the United States has done for them,' Trump Jr. wrote, 'the fact that they seemingly did not tell us that this sociopath literally tried to buy arms from them to assassinate my father seems like a much bigger deal. Wonder why?!?'
Court documents made public this week reveal that Routh, a convicted felon and pro-Ukraine activist, was arrested near Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in September 2024. Authorities say he was carrying a rifle and had previously attempted to obtain a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a Stinger missile from a source he believed had access to Ukraine's arsenal.
According to filings by the U.S. Department of Justice, Routh used encrypted messaging apps to contact what he thought was a Ukrainian weapons supplier.
In one of the messages, he allegedly stated, 'I need the equipment so that Trump don't get elected,' suggesting clear intent to use the weapons for political violence.
Despite his failure to join the Ukrainian military in 2022, Routh remained involved in activities connected to the conflict, including efforts to recruit former Afghan soldiers to fight for Ukraine.
U.S. prosecutors claim he viewed the wartime chaos as an opportunity to acquire heavy weapons discreetly, telling his contact that "one missing [weapon] would not be noticed."
Routh never received the arms he sought and was apprehended shortly after his last known attempt to secure the weapons. He currently remains in custody and faces a possible life sentence if convicted. His trial is scheduled for later this year.
Ukrainian military officials have acknowledged that Routh made multiple efforts to enlist, but they deny any official connection to him. The Ukrainian government has not responded publicly to Trump Jr.'s accusations of a cover-up.
The incident is linked to one of two assassination attempts on Donald Trump during the 2024 election cycle. The more widely known attempt occurred in July at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a rooftop gunman opened fire, injuring Trump and killing a supporter. The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by Secret Service agents on the scene.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
