Staff Reports
It seems that the Biden administration’s competence, or rather, the glaring lack thereof, has once again taken center stage. The disturbing scenario surrounding former President Donald Trump’s would-be assassin, Ryan Wesley Routh, has raised more eyebrows than the average political scandal—and that’s saying something. The FBI, Interpol, and Customs and Border Protection all had advance warnings regarding Routh’s threats, yet everyone seemed to take a collective nap instead of implementing adequate protective measures.
Chelsea Walsh, a nurse with personal experience dealing with Routh in Kyiv, alerted authorities on multiple occasions regarding his violent threats. Despite her extensive warnings, which included an hour-long discussion with a CBP officer at Dulles Airport, the concerns fell on deaf ears. It’s the kind of story that makes one wonder—did our federal agents attend the same school of security as the people who lose their keys every week? Walsh described Routh as one of the most dangerous Americans she encountered during her travels in Ukraine. Yet, rather than taking action, the government acted like a cat watching a laser pointer, completely transfixed yet utterly ineffective.
BREAKING: @FBI, @Interpol, & @CBP Were ALL WARNED ABOUT TRUMP ASSASSINATION SUSPECT Ryan Routh Well In Advance! https://t.co/C5fb2aOI6y
— John Basham (@JohnBasham) September 18, 2024
In another twist of absurdity, Walsh filed reports with the FBI and Interpol again in 2023, raising alarms about Routh’s attempts to recruit Syrian refugees to bolster his troubling endeavors. Yet again, the agencies left her dangling like a half-finished crossword puzzle. One might cynically ask if the FBI has more pressing matters to attend to—like investigating parents at school board meetings. This lack of response begs the question: is this negligence, incompetence, or maybe even deliberate oversight?
The FBI wasn’t entirely ignorant of Routh’s past shenanigans. Back in 2019, a tipster informed the bureau that Routh, a felon, was packing heat. However, when asked for more details, the tipster decided it was time to take a leisurely stroll away from the situation. Consequently, the FBI forwarded the information to local authorities in Hawaii and promptly closed the case as if that was that. It’s baffling to consider that an alleged attempt on a president’s life doesn’t seem to raise more urgency than a squirrel setting off a car alarm.
This sleepy approach drew the ire of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who kicked off his investigation into the situation. DeSantis pointedly remarked that trusting the same federal agencies that are frantic about indicting Trump to protect him is a recipe for disaster. Why can’t the authorities seem to wrap their heads around the basic premise that a former president is deserving of sensible protection? It’s almost as if they’re reading from a script marked “how to screw up national security 101.” The Florida governor’s move for an independent inquiry indicates that someone needs to light a fire under the federal bureaucracy before someone else gets hurt. A sincere desire for accountability amidst ridiculous incompetence never sounded so refreshing.
