Law enforcement continues its investigation into an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which took place on September 16, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Federal authorities, including the FBI, Secret Service, and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, are all involved in the case.

On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department made public a letter allegedly written by the suspect, Ryan Routh, in which he appears to admit to attempting to kill Trump. Prosecutors presented the letter during a court hearing as part of their argument to keep Routh in custody pending trial.

“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” Routh reportedly wrote in the letter. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”

The letter, which was shared on social media, opens with the words: “Dear World, this was an assassination attempt.”

Routh’s letter goes on to say, “Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a U.S. president. U.S. presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.”

Later in the letter, Routh criticizes Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his handling of relations with Iran, writing, “Trump ended relations with Iran like a child and now the Middle East has unraveled.”

In addition to the letter, Routh had previously self-published a book in which he encouraged Iran to assassinate Trump. National security officials have been monitoring Iranian efforts to undermine Trump’s political campaign, with reports indicating that Iran hacked into Trump’s campaign and attempted to share that information with the Biden-Harris campaign. There have also been warnings about Iran’s attempts to assassinate Trump.

Routh’s background includes a criminal history that prohibited him from owning firearms. He was also a documented donor to Democratic political candidates. Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show that between 2019 and 2020, Routh made donations through ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, supporting candidates such as Beto O’Rourke, Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, and Elizabeth Warren.