United States federal authorities have arrested Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident, in Florida on suspicion of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump. Routh, an entrepreneur in the affordable housing sector, had previously voiced criticism of Trump on social media platforms while demonstrating passionate support for Ukraine. The arrest has triggered a comprehensive FBI investigation, including international inquiries into Routh's online activities and travel history.

Video: How will attempted assassination impact upcoming elections?

The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism analyzed Routh's social media presence, concluding that he was once a Trump supporter who became disenchanted and shifted his allegiance to Libertarian candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

While never explicitly advocating violence against Trump, Routh called for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin. His online activity revealed efforts to recruit foreign fighters for Ukraine and Taiwan, with one video showing him discussing this need while in Ukraine.

We know little so far, but w alleged Trump shooter's personal and public participation in military activity in Ukraine, it is hard to imagine this White House's agencies can claim zero contact—"clean hands." Something of an Oswald vibe, here. Congress should get answers. pic.twitter.com/lDD1TLsLVf

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 15, 2024

Regarding Israel, on several occasions, Routh posted maps of Israel and questioned whether Jews actually lived there in ancient times and whether "it wasn't all Palestine." Public records reveal a history of legal troubles, including a 2002 arrest in North Carolina and cases dating back to the 1990s involving tax evasion charges and civil lawsuits resulting in substantial payouts.

On social media, Routh criticized Trump while supporting President Joe Biden. He commented on the July assassination attempt on Trump, urging Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to visit the injured. The FBI has expanded its investigation internationally, seeking warrants for Routh's social media accounts on foreign platforms and examining his travel claims.

Authorities have not identified potential co-conspirators, if there were any, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump continued to denounce the influx of immigrants into the country at a rally in Las Vegas, just days after the first and possibly only presidential debate between him and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Friday's rally at the Expo at World Market Center was his first rally in Las Vegas since Harris became his opponent, and he attacked his new opponent at length.

"Get everyone you know to vote," he told the crowd during his fourth visit to Nevada this year. "We want a landslide that is too big to rig. On Nov. 5, we will save America. We will rescue our middle class. We will restore our borders like they have not been restored in a long time. We will put America first and we will take back our country."

Speaking for over an hour, Trump hit the major issues of his campaign, from immigration to the economy, as well as going on unscripted tangents, from President Joe Biden wearing a MAGA hat to the debate moderators whom he called fake.

1. He hit heavily on immigration.

With immigration one of voters' biggest issues and a sore political spot for the Biden-Harris administration, which rolled back Trump-era immigration policies, the former president continued to highlight problems at the border and repeated anti-immigrant rhetoric about immigrants causing crime and "destroying our country."

Trump said there are millions of immigrants invading the country, coming from prisons and mental institutions, and talked about Venezuelan gangs taking over apartments in Colorado and Haitian immigrants taking over Springfield, Ohio. He did not repeat the debunked claim he made during the debate that Haitian immigrants were eating people's pets.

Aurora, Colorado, police arrested 10 alleged members of a criminal organization from Venezuela in different incidents dating back to February, according to a Facebook post shared by the department on Wednesday.

"Our country is under invasion just like an army," he said.

A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that immigrants are 60 percent less likely to commit a crime than people born in the US

The campaign showed AI-generated images claiming the dangers of immigrants that said a girl was raped by an illegal immigrant. He also showed a slide of a chart showing the number of immigrants entering the country, a slide he had turned to look at during the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally as he was shot.

"Kamala will be the president of invasion, and I will be the president of making this country stronger, more beautiful," he said.

2. He made promises on the economy.

Trump described further his economic plans, including his proposal to end taxes on overtime pay, which he announced the day before. He also pledged to end taxes on Social Security, receiving a loud cheer from the crowd.

When he visited Las Vegas in June, he announced his plans to end taxes on tips, which other political candidates signed onto, as well, including Kamala Harris and Nevada Democrats, though with an additional call to raise the national minimum wage.

He said he'd open up federal land for housing to help alleviate the housing crisis. And said he'd turn the US into a manufacturing superpower.

Francine Lipman, a tax law expert at UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law, said the proposal looks good on surface, but it would have negative consequences.

Lipman said it would encourage higher income individuals to structure their income and wealth in a way to be listed as an hourly worker and receive more overtime, which could result in much less income tax. The proposal also could incentivize employers to pay their employees less or not increase their wages because they no longer get taxed on overtime, Lipman said.

"It is just not grounded in reality," she said. A CEO could say they make $15 an hour plus $30 million in overtime, she said.

"If we eliminate overtime from being taxed, and we also let employers dictate what overtime is, then everything will be overtime so that individuals are not going to pay taxes," Lipman said.

Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald said the policy would put money back in people's pockets and give them an opportunity to spend it.

"What Donald Trump's doing right now, our push right now for our plan, it helps, it puts money right back in the pockets of the working man," McDonald said.

3. He criticizes Harris and the debate moderators.

Just days after the first and potentially only presidential debate between him and Harris, Trump took to the stage to criticize the debate moderators and Harris, who he said lied often.

He criticized the moderators for fact-checking him and said they did not fact-check Harris. He denied that he was wrong when ABC News moderator David Muir fact-checked Trump about violent crime being up.

He said Harris is "all talk and no action," and claimed she lied about working in McDonald's. He criticized her for continuing to bring up Project 2025, which he's "said 100 times" that he knows nothing about it.

Trump showed video of Harris flip-flopping on some issues, including her saying during her 2019 presidential campaign that she wants to ban fracking and then in July saying she no longer supports that policy. He also showed a video montage of Harris laughing and thanking people on stage, calling her "unwell."

"Thirty-eight times she said thank you. There's something wrong with her," he said.

4. He name-dropped GOP candidates on the ballot.

The former president talked about Nevada's senate race in which Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen faces Republican Sam Brown, who he called an "incredible guy."

"He's given up so much," Trump said. "Nobody's given up like he's given up. He wants to do this because he loves his country," Trump said.

Trump called Rosen radical and invited Brown on stage, who gave a short speech and handed Trump a copy of his memoir, "Alive Day: Finding Hope and Purpose after Losing Everything."

He also mentioned John Lee and Drew Johnson, who are going up against Democratic incumbents Rep. Steven Horsford and Susie Lee. Trump did not name-drop Mark Robertson, who is running against Rep. Dina Titus.

Brown, who has lagged behind Rosen in the polls, told the Review-Journal before Trump took stage that he's on the ground every day to get his campaign going.

"I'm just working hard. I do the same thing every single day. It's this meeting with Nevadans, it's focusing on the issues, it's talking about what our solutions are," he said. "At the end of the day, the polls don't matter, how money is raised or spent doesn't matter. It's who has the most votes. We're on a trajectory to take the lead and win."

5. Supporters' enthusiasm is clear.

Around 6,000 people signed up to attend the rally, according to the campaign.

Rallygoers lined up to get in, wearing their patriotic and also eclectic attire, including T-shirts saying "I'm voting for the felon" and pictures of Hulk Hogan ripping his shirt off and of Trump raising his fist after his assassination attempt. A tent outside the venue had a line of people signing up to volunteer for the campaign, and vendors sold Trump and MAGA swag. Inside the center, they often chanted "USA" and "fight," which Trump had shouted when he was shot.

Kayla Smith, 32, attended her first Trump rally on Friday.

"I really wanted to experience it, and plus Kamala told us to do so during the debate so might as well take some advice and see what the rally is all about," the Las Vegas resident said.

Smith said she's nervous and excited about the election and said things need to change. She said she was able to purchase two homes, refinance one and sell the other while he was president.

"I noticed things were a lot better when I had him as president," she said.

She wants a strong economy, she supports tariffs imposed on countries. She wants a safer America and said Trump is the only president to talk about sex trafficking, which she said is one of her biggest concerns.

Samuel Farfaglio, a 31-year-old Las Vegas resident, likes Trump's policies and is interested in Trump's calls for tariffs. He also agrees with Trump' policies on military spending and drilling for more oil in the country.

"I think we're in a pretty pivotal time in this country where I think that the only thing that will stop us from a potential decline is good policy, both in our states and with foreign affairs," Farfaglio said.

"I don't think that he's a perfect human. I don't care," Farfaglio said. "I just care that the things that he says make far more sense than almost all the other candidates."

Reprinted with permission from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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President Joe Biden has seemingly reiterated his warning to Iran, cautioning against any potential attack on Israel. The apparent warning comes as Tehran has vowed to retaliate for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil.

In a video circulating on social media, Biden is seen responding to reporters' questions as he exits a church. When asked about his message to Iran, the president appears to mouth the word "Don't" before entering his vehicle. This apparent warning echoes similar statements made by Biden in the past, notably following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and again in April preceding Iran's direct rocket and drone assault on Israel.

Pres. Biden departs church in Rehoboth Beach Delaware .... pic.twitter.com/3ozuDRFWyV

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) August 10, 2024

The tension between Iran and Israel has escalated significantly since Haniyeh's assassination. Tehran's promise of retaliation has put the region on high alert, with the international community closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed concern over the reported civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip. Following claims by Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency that over 90 people were killed in an airstrike, Harris denounced the alleged harm to Palestinian civilians.

"Yet again, far too many civilians have been killed," Harris told reporters. The vice president also reiterated calls for a Gaza ceasefire, emphasizing the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis in the region. The incident highlights the complex nature of military operations in Gaza, where Hamas's practice of embedding military infrastructure within civilian areas, complicating efforts to avoid civilian casualties.

The IDF and Shin Bet security agency said that the operation targeted a Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad command room at the Tabaeen school in Gaza City. The IDF named 19 Hamas and PIJ terrorists who were killed in the strike. Hamas embeds its military infrastructure within civilian areas, a tactic that complicates efforts to avoid civilian casualties during military operations.

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Former President Donald Trump drew criticism for comments about Vice President Kamala Harris' racial identity at a gathering of black journalists in Chicago, according to CNN.

Trump questioned Harris' heritage, suggesting she "happened to turn black" in recent years. "She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago," Trump said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention.

Harris, born to an Indian mother and Jamaican father in Oakland, California, is the first female, black, and Asian American vice president. She responded to Trump's remarks at a separate event, calling them "the same old show, the divisiveness and the disrespect."

The White House condemned Trump's comments, with Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre describing them as "repulsive" and "insulting." Harris' campaign accused Trump of attempting to divide Americans.

During the same event, Trump faced tough questioning about his past statements regarding people of color. ABC News' Rachel Scott asked why black voters should trust him given his previous controversial remarks. Trump dismissed the question as "disgraceful" and touted his administration's achievements for black Americans.

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The KKL-JNF presented Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris this week with its blue donation box after she mentioned during her speech in honor of Israel's 75th anniversary that as a child, she used to collect contributions for the state.

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Speaking at the event, Harris said, "As a little girl growing up in the Bay Area of California, I collected donations for KKL-JNF, and for those of you who are old enough, you can remember those little blue boxes we carried around and asked people, 'Please donate so we can plant trees in Israel.'

"Our action, as children and young people, meant much more than that; it represented the connection for us to the importance of the establishment of the State of Israel," she said.

Touched by the vice president's words, KKL-JNF Chairwoman Ifat Ovadia-Luski sent her a formal letter expressing gratitude for her contribution to the organization and to Israel.

"We were excited to hear about your childhood experience with KKL-JNF. We are sending you this official thank-you letter along with the blue donation box of KKL-JNF as a memento of your actions since your childhood and as a recognition of the strong and special bond between the countries," Ovadia-Luski wrote. "On this occasion, we invite you to visit Israel and plant a tree in KKL-JNF forests."

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Israel harshly criticized Vice President of the United States Kamala Harris Wednesday for seemingly taking a snipe at the judicial reform during a celebration in honor of Israel's 75th independence at the country's embassy in Washington.

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Speaking at a reception, Harris said, "America will continue to stand for the values that have been the bedrock of the US-Israel relationship, which includes continuing to strengthen our democracies, which ... are both built on strong institutions, checks, and balances, and I'll add: an independent judiciary."

Video: Reuters

The event was attended, among others, by the head of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Simcha Rothman, one of the main driving forces behind the controversial legislation.

I have deep respect for our ally the United States of America and for Vice President Harris, a true friend of Israel.
Israel's legal reform is an internal issue that is currently in the process of consolidation and dialogue.
The State of Israel will continue to be democratic…

— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) June 7, 2023

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized Harris, saying "I believe that she didn't even read it. If you ask her what about the reform troubles her, she wouldn't be able to name one clause. I have heard such comments in places I've visited, and I asked, 'What exactly bothers you?' No one could put their finger on it.

"It's not criticism; those who [cherish] the values of democracy more than anyone are the right wing and the Likud. Most of the public wants judicial reform. And most of the public wants a broad agreement. Public trust in the judicial system has deteriorated, and the reform will restore trust and create heterogeneity in the judicial system."

Cohen later appeared to walk back some of the remarks, issuing a reconciliatory tweet.

"I have deep respect for our ally the United States of America and for Vice President Harris, a true friend of Israel," he wrote. "Israel's legal reform is an internal issue that is currently in the process of consolidation and dialogue. The State of Israel will continue to be democratic and liberal, as it has always been."

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