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The Man Behind the Trump Plot

Plus, domino effect of good.

The Flag

Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Here are the Flag’s Top Five stories that should be on your radar to start the day:

  • US: Microsoft says Russian operatives are ramping up attacks on Harris campaign with fake videos (CNN)

  • World: Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured (AP)

  • Business: Amazon tells employees to return to office five days a week (CNBC)

  • Technology: Snap’s new Spectacles inch closer to compelling AR (The Verge)

  • Sports: Jordan Chiles files appeal with Swiss court in attempt to reclaim Olympic gymnastics bronze medal (Yahoo Sports)

BECOME A FLAG BEARER

🇺🇸 What do an oak paddle, bingo nights, and a Civil War pension have in common? We’ll give you a hint: history has a way of stretching its fingers into the most surprising places. Find out the full story by becoming a premium subscriber today.

POWERED BY MONEY

Protect yourself from rising home repair costs with a Home Warranty

Inflation has led to increased home maintenance costs, with some repairs exceeding $5,000 and certain states experiencing up to a 39% rise in average expenses. A home warranty can help you budget and provide coverage for eligible appliances and systems against unexpected events like earthquakes, floods, and fires.

Left: How Harris Can Close the Gap in the Swing States, Robert Shapiro, Washington Monthly

Left: A Ponzi Scheme of Promises, Adam Lowenstein, American Prospect

Left: Trying To Silence Trump Only Makes Him Stronger, Nicole Russell, USA Today

Right: Striking a Blow for Whistleblowers Who Exposed Bidens, Miranda Devine, New York Post

Right: Report Shines More Light on Secret Service Incompetence, M.D. Kittle, The Federalist

TRUMP

The Man Behind the Trump Plot

Today’s Top Story: Law enforcement identified 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh of Hawaii as the suspect in an attempted assassination of former President Trump, after hiding for 12 hours at Trump's Florida golf course. Routh has a criminal history and previously supported Trump in 2016.

Reporting from the Left: Ryan Routh was camped out for 12 hours and didn't have Trump in his line of sight when Secret Service fired at him (NBC News)

Reporting from the Right: Pro-Trump legal group demands Biden administration release information about Ryan Routh (Washington Examiner)

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Ukraine Connections

The Top Argument From The Left: What the Would-Be Trump Assassin Was Really up to in Ukraine, Ben Makuch, The New Republic: “As Russian tanks crossed the Ukrainian border in February 2022, Ryan Routh pledged to do everything he could to stop Vladimir Putin. ‘I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE,’ he posted on Twitter soon after the invasion. By the spring, he was in Kyiv, posing as a recruiter for the International Legion—a brigade of foreign fighters fighting with the Ukrainian military. A visible and flamboyant presence in St. Michael’s Square, he was also a frequent interview subject, talking to, among others, The New York Times and Romanian Newsweek. In the wake of his arrest for allegedly planning to assassinate Donald Trump at his South Florida golf course on Sunday, Routh’s connections to Ukraine have become fodder for right-wing conspiracy theories. Some have gone as far as to claim that Routh is some sort of Lee Harvey Oswald figure or even a Ukrainian Manchurian candidate, with connections leading from St. Michael’s Square straight to the three-letter agencies who surely ordered another hit against Trump. … Many of Routh’s tweets suggest a self-aggrandizing—and likely mentally ill—person who was trying to portray himself as having played a much bigger role in the conflict than he did.”

Honorable Mention #1: Alleged Trump Gunman Was Angry With Him for Seeking Putin Deal on Ukraine, David Gardner, Daily Beast.

Honorable Mention #2: Trump assassination attempt in Florida: Who is suspect Ryan Routh? Rick Jervis and Will Carless, USA Today.

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Routh Has a Record

The Top Argument From The Right: Trump would-be assassin was subject of FBI tip in 2019, Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner: “The FBI revealed Monday that it received a tip five years ago about Ryan Routh, the suspect who is now at the center of an apparent second attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. FBI Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Veltri said during a press conference that a tipster alleged to the FBI in 2019 that Routh was a felon who was in unlawful possession of a firearm. The FBI closed the matter after transferring it to local law enforcement in Hawaii, Veltri said. … The revelation that Routh had at one point been on the FBI’s radar came after authorities said they discovered Routh armed with a semiautomatic rifle at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday. Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe, who also spoke at the press conference, said an agent was sweeping the golf course “several hundred yards and several holes” ahead of Trump while the former president was playing when the agent noticed Routh pointing his gun through the trees. The agent immediately began firing shots at Routh, who darted away and was detained by authorities less than an hour later. Rowe said Routh never had a line of sight to Trump, and the acting director praised his team for its management of the situation.”

FLAG THIS

Support for Political Violence

A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 1 in 4 Republicans (27%) agreed with the statement, “patriots may have to resort to violence to save our country.” Among Republicans who view former President Donald Trump favorably, this figure rises to nearly 1 in 3 (32%). In contrast, only 1 in 6 Americans (roughly 17%) overall support such violence, with only 8% of Democrats showing support (USA Today).

Do you believe there are any instances in which political violence might be justified in American democracy?

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WATERCOOLER

Cornerstone, Hunger Pangs, Libraries Before Books

On This Day in 1793, George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of American government. The building would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War.

Today I learned Libraries predate books.

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Inflation has led to increased home maintenance costs, with some repairs exceeding $5,000 and certain states experiencing up to a 39% rise in average expenses. A home warranty can help you budget and provide coverage for eligible appliances and systems against unexpected events like earthquakes, floods, and fires.

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