Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed Florida’s Attorney General’s Office and state law enforcement to lead an independent investigation into the second attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, citing concerns over the impartiality of federal investigators.
DeSantis emphasized that federal agencies currently prosecuting Trump should not be tasked with handling the case, arguing that Florida is in a better position to ensure a thorough and unbiased investigation.
The suspect, Ryan Routh, was arrested near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course after being found armed with a rifle. While federal prosecutors have charged Routh with gun-related offenses, DeSantis criticized these charges as inadequate, calling for more serious state-level charges, including attempted murder.
DeSantis highlighted the need for public trust in the investigation, pointing to past federal cases that left many unanswered questions, such as the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. “We never got any answers about that,” DeSantis remarked, suggesting that federal investigators are failing to provide transparency.
Attorney General Ashley Moody vowed that Florida’s investigation would focus on uncovering the full story behind the assassination attempt, stating, “We will work to ensure public trust and transparency.” Routh’s connections to anti-Trump rhetoric and potential international ties have raised suspicions, and the state investigation will aim to explore whether foreign or intelligence forces played a role.
DeSantis assured Floridians that the investigation results would be made public, promising a thorough examination that federal investigators, in his view, have failed to provide in other high-profile cases.
