A major event like either of the two attempts on the life of former President Donald Trump always prompts investigators and the just plain curious to ask: "What was this guy up to in the weeks leading up to the attempt?" It's a fair question; the answers can yield insight as to whether the bad guy had any collaborators or outside support. That can be vital information, especially if the goal is to prevent further attempts.
On X (formerly Twitter) a group called the Oversight Project has presented some data on the travels of both would-be Trump assassins. While we have not yet verified this information, if it's accurate, it's showing some interesting patterns - especially in the case of Ryan Routh, who appears to have been something of a globetrotter.
This first map shows Routh's supposed travel around the world. While it's hard to pin down exact locations, it seems that Routh traveled not only all over the United States but also made stops in Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, and Korea. French Polynesia and Singapore also seem to be on the list, as is the United Kingdom and somewhere in either France or Spain, on the Mediterranean coast near the border of those countries.
Routh's travels in the United States were likewise extensive, and the map appears to largely follow major highways - this looks a lot like a series of road trips, to what end we can only imagine.
Finally, the Oversight Project photographed Routh's Hawaii residence; the only thing of interest there appears to be (big surprise) a Biden/Harris sticker on a truck parked in the driveway.
Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally shooter Thomas Crooks' travels are not nearly so extensive. He has connections in what looks like northern Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.
While this is interesting, we should note again that this has not been independently verified.
Of course, that doesn't stop us from asking, "What if...?" Speculation is just that, speculation, but that doesn't mean it isn't entertaining. Routh's travels, if these are accurate, are indeed interesting; one can imagine how much all this travel costs, and Routh doesn't present the typical picture of a wealthy jet-setter. His Hawaii home is decidedly on the modest side, although even modest homes in Hawaii are on the pricey side.
But some of the locations, in Routh's case, are interesting, if this is accurate. Singapore? Indonesia? A lot of these places, like French Polynesia and New Zealand, are common vacation destinations. But Korea? Brazil?
We won't know for sure until more information becomes available. As always, this is a developing story, and we will continue to monitor and bring you updates as events warrant.