Son of Trump golf course gunman defends father and blasts US politics: "Fed up with it all"
Palm Beach, Florida - The son of the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump over the weekend has come out in defense of his father, who he insists is "not a violent person."
On Sunday, Ryan Routh (58) was arrested after he trespassed on one of Trump's golf courses in Florida with an AK-47 rifle as the former president was golfing, in what the FBI has deemed "an attempted assassination."
Shortly after the shooting, The Daily Mail reached out to Oran Routh (35), Ryan's son, who agreed to an interview, as he claimed it was "the first I heard about" the incident.
After asking about his father's condition, Oran admitted "I don't like Trump either" as "every reasonable person does," but remained shocked about the shooting.
"He's my dad and all he's had is [a] couple traffic tickets, as far as I know," Oran said. "I know my dad and love my dad, but that's nothing like him."
Oran claimed he had no idea his father was in Florida because the two had a "falling out," which he refused to elaborate on, but he again insisted it was unlike him.
"He's not a violent person," he continued. "He's a hard worker and a great dad. He's a great dude, a nice guy, and has worked his whole f**king life."
When asked if his father owned weapons, Oran claimed he has "never known him to own a gun or known him to do anything bats*** like this."
Ryan Routh reportedly has a substantial criminal record, which includes being charged for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Oran Routh vents his own frustration with US politics
As the story continues to develop, it is still unclear what Routh's motive were exactly.
In a series of text messages Oran sent to The Daily Mail after their interview, he expressed some of his own frustrations with the US political system, but insisted he was not trying to rationalize his father's actions.
"I hate this game every four years, and think that we all do, and if my father wants to be a martyr to how broken and disassociated the process has become from the real problems and practical solutions, then that's his choice," Oran wrote.
"I'm not saying that's what he's done or what he's about, that's just my own rant being fed up with it all for my entire adult life," he continued.
"South Park said it best – every 4 years we're forced to choose between a turd sandwich and a giant douche, and it all stays f***** in the same ways by different degrees, and we're exhausted and embarrassed by it all," Oran added.
Cover photo: Chandan Khanna / AFP