In 2023, the NYT interviewed the Trump shooting plot suspect Routh about Ukraine's war efforts, and he was described as sounding ridiculous.

Last year, the man suspected of attempting to assassinate former President Trump spoke to the New York Times about his efforts to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

Ryan Routh, a former North Carolina construction worker, spoke to the New York Times about his experience recruiting Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine's war against Russia. He spent "months" in Ukraine and worked to recruit Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban to join the International Legion.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Routh, who spent time in Ukraine last year, plans to move people, some of whom may be doing so illegally, from Pakistan and Iran to Ukraine. The article, published on March 25, 2023, reports that dozens of people have expressed interest in this plan.

Pakistan, being a corrupt country, may be the source of some passports, according to Routh's statement in an interview from Washington, D.C.

On Sunday afternoon, Routh was apprehended for reportedly brandishing an AK-47-style rifle at the Trump International Golf Club and aiming it through a chain-link fence towards where Trump was playing golf.

On Sunday afternoon, Trump was safe after his car was involved in an incident on I-95, and he fled the area. He was later apprehended by authorities.

On Sunday, Planet Chronicle Digital examined Routh's social media accounts and discovered that he frequently posted about global events, Trump, the 2020 election, and the July assassination attempt on Trump.

"I am traveling to Ukraine to participate in a fight. It is crucial that we launch a media campaign to motivate people worldwide to gather in Ukraine and contribute to the struggle. We require a massive number of civilians to increase the financial burden of war on Putin and attract a large number of fighters," he wrote on February 17, 2022.

In April, he declared his intention to fight for Ukraine and then posted in the same month that he was in Kyiv.

The account posted that they are in Kyiv and want to establish a tent city in Independence Park to attract more foreign civilians and support Ukraine.

In a previous post, he declared in all caps that he was willing to "FIGHT AND DIE" in Ukraine.

In 2022, he posted on social media that he was willing to fly to Krakow and volunteer at the border of Ukraine to fight and die in the face of Russia's invasion.

His X account was suspended following police confirming his name on Sunday.

Thomas Gibbons-Neff, a New York Times reporter, published an essay on Sunday about his interview with Routh last year in Ukraine. He explained that he was introduced to Routh by a former colleague from Kabul and noted that Routh was one of the first interviews he conducted for the March 2023 article.

The essay stated that Mr. Routh, who had spent time in Ukraine trying to raise support for the war, was seeking recruits from among Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban. The former Afghan soldier believed that Mr. Routh could help him get to the Ukrainian front, as anything, even war, was better than the conditions in Iran for Afghans after the Taliban retook Kabul in August of 2021.

Routh, who is 58 years old as of 2024, stated to the reporter that although he was eager to rally support and volunteers to fight for Ukraine, he did not fight in Ukraine due to his age and lack of military experience.

He stated to the reporter that, in his opinion, everyone should be present to support the Ukrainians.

In March, the New York Times reported that Routh had created a list of over 200 Afghans residing in the Middle East, whom he intended to enlist and assist in relocating to Ukraine.

The interview was brief, and Routh had already scheduled a two-hour meeting with members of Congress regarding Ukraine before saying so.

In his essay, the reporter expressed uncertainty about whether Routh attended the meeting and noted that the conversation made him believe Routh was out of his depth.

Gibbons-Neff wrote that he spoke of purchasing corrupt officials, forging passports, and doing whatever was necessary to get his Afghan cadre to Ukraine, but he had no concrete plan to achieve his objectives. At one point, he mentioned arranging a U.S. military transport flight from Iraq to Poland with Afghan refugees willing to fight.

"Despite the absurdity of the situation, Mr. Routh's tone conveyed a different message. He was determined to support Ukraine's war effort, regardless of the circumstances."

Following the publication last year, Routh disappeared from the public eye until Sunday.

Monday morning, Routh appeared in federal court with a grin on his face and chuckled before his initial hearing.

He may face additional charges for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number, in addition to charges of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities said.

Trump has accused President Biden and Vice President Harris of promoting divisive rhetoric that led to the attempt on his life. Trump survived another assassination attempt in July, when a gunman opened fire on a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and hit Trump in the ear.