Trump Assassination

Was Ryan Routh filmed at a Kamala Harris rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, three days before he was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Donald Trump? No, that's not true: The man in the video posted on social media has multiple facial features that differ from Routh's mugshot. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police also say they are not investigating any cases involving Routh.…

Did federal prosecutors release an alleged assassin's bounty letter targeting Donald Trump because they "all want him dead"? No, that's not true: A handwritten letter allegedly by accused gunman Ryan Routh offering $150,000 to "whomever can complete the job" was included as part of the government's motion to keep him behind bars until trial. Other prosecutors say it's standard procedure…

Does a screenshot show an authentic Instagram account belonging to Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at Trump's golf course? No, that's not true: A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told Lead Stories the account is fake. Any copycat accounts will be removed, the spokesperson said, in…

Were explosive devices discovered at the site of a Donald Trump campaign event on September 18, 2024, on Long Island, New York? No, that's not true: Law enforcement denied the rumor. The police statement said that a person "training a bomb detection dog" near the event's location had made a false report. The claim about explosive devices appeared in a…

Did White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre abruptly end a press briefing after Fox News senior correspondent Peter Doocy asked why she, President Biden and Vice President Harris still referred to Donald Trump as a "threat" even after two assassination attempts against the former president? No, that's not true: The social-media video that claims to show Jean-Pierre ending the briefing…

Does a video on X show Tim Walz calling Donald Trump and JD Vance "a threat to democracy" after Trump survived a second apparent assassination attempt? No, that's not true: That attempt was made in September 2024, while videos show Walz's statement was in late July 2024. There is nothing to confirm the video on X was made in mid-…

Did actor Jack Black vow to leave the United States permanently? No, that's not true: That story appeared on a website with a satire disclaimer. There is no evidence Black ever said such a thing. The claim appeared in an article (archived here) on the Esspots website on July 19, 2024, under the title "Breaking: Jack Black Vows To Leave…

Did Ryan Routh, the suspect in the apparent attempted assassination of Donald Trump in September 2024, make an appearance in a BlackRock advertisement? No, that's not true: A company spokesperson told Lead Stories that Routh had not "appeared in any BlackRock ads." The post making the claim uses a clip that does briefly show a man who appears to be…

Does a blog post prove the late Thomas Matthew Crooks, shot dead while trying to assassinate Donald Trump, made payments to Ryan Wesley Routh, charged in a separate apparent assassination attempt on Trump? No, that's not true: The blog was edited to add the name Ryan Wesley Routh on September 17, 2024 -- one day after Routh was arrested. Also,…

Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refuse to turn over alleged Trump gunman Ryan Wesley Routh to the FBI? No, that's not true: Jail records on September 17, 2024, showed that a Ryan Wesley Routh of the same age as the suspected gunman was housed at the Miami Federal Detention Center. Prosecutors filed two federal charges against Routh on September 16,…