Fact check: Trump's would-be assassin with links to Ukraine?

The news of a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump — occurring just over two months after the first — has sparked a wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories.

According to multiple reports, shots were fired Sunday, September 15, at the National Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump, the presidential nominee of the Republican party, was golfing. Trump was unharmed and returned to his Mar-a-Lago residence after the attempt.

US law enforcement officials have identified the suspect as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley R.. The most widespread rumors about him involve his alleged involvement in the war in Ukraine. Those include supposed ties to BlackRock, one of the world's largest asset management companies, which is helping Ukraine establish a reconstruction bank to attract private investment for rebuilding projects.

DW Fact check investigated some of these claims.

Did R. appear in a BlackRock video?

Claim: R. appeared in a BlackRock commercial, just like Matthew Crooks, the man who allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump in July. This claim has spread across platforms likeX, TikTok and Reddit.

Most of these posts combine two pieces of footage, each featuring one of the suspects. In one, R. is seen at a gathering with people holding flags and signs with Ukrainian writing. Some posts claim the video was a part of propaganda by the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian ultranationalist armed group, while others suggest the commercial was for BlackRock.

In the second clip, Matthew Crooks briefly appears in what has been confirmed to be part of a 2022 BlackRock ad.

One viral post on X, which has received 3.2 million views, reads: "Absolutely no way — Ryan R. ALSO appeared in a BlackRock commercial, just like Matthew Crooks. That means BOTH featured in the global wealth management firm's commercial. THESE AREN'T COINCIDENCES. They love their symbolism." This text, or variations of it, has been shared widely across social media.

DW Fact check: False.

While Matthew Crooks did appear in a BlackRock ad, the footage featuring Ryan R. has no connection to the investment firm.

The video, which first appeared on May 1, 2022, shows a gathering in Maidan Square that took place on April 30. Local media, including the website CBOÏ.CITY, covered the event, publishing photos and interviews with some of the individuals seen in the video.

The reports indicate that the gathering was organized by family members and friends of the soldiers defending an Azovstal Iron and Steel Works site in Mariupol, a Ukrainian city that was under a Russian siege at the time. The soldiers surrendered between May 16 and May 20, 2022, and many remain captive in Russia.

Since then, family and friends have held more protests regularly, demanding the soldiers' safe return. Local and international media have widely covered these gatherings, and they have no ties to BlackRock, which began working with the Ukrainian government a year later.

BlackRock recently pledged financial support to Ukraine, joining other investors in committing billions to the country's reconstruction. The company has often been the subject of conspiracy theories accusing it of profiting from the war in Ukraine.

Another example of unfounded claims about the company is the wave of posts alleging that BlackRock purchased 40% of Ukraine’s fertile land, claims lacking evidence. According to Ukrainian law, foreigners, stateless individuals and legal entities are prohibited from purchasing shares in the capital or holding membership in legal entities that own agricultural land.

Several fact-checking initiatives, including EUvsDisinfo, have confirmed that primarily pro-Kremlin accounts promote this narrative.

Additionally, the Azov Brigade's account on X has rejected any connection with R. "We believe that spreading the narrative of a possible connection between Azov and Ryan Wesley R. aligns with Russian propaganda and aims to discredit the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine as a whole," the group said in a statement.

Did Ryan R. fight in Ukraine?

Claim: Trump's apparent would-be assassin in Florida is a US soldier who served in Ukraine's foreign legion. This claim appeared on social media shortly after news of the assassination attempt broke, with some prominent right-wing influencers and conspiracy theorists promoting it.

DW Fact check: Unproven.

While there are indications that R. spent time in Ukraine, no credible evidence confirms his involvement in combat.

In a 2022 interview with Newsweek Romania, R. stated that while he traveled to Ukraine to support the war effort, he did not engage in combat. He has appeared in several videos on social media, encouraging people to join the foreign legion and fight for Ukraine. In one such video, shared by Kyiv-based journalist Guillaume Ptak, R. wears a T-shirt with the words "Military Recruiting" and a phone number, along with a payment offer of "USD 1,200 or 40,000 hryvnia [per] month" (about €1,080).

R. was also mentioned in a New York Times article from March 2023 that profiled American volunteers who traveled to Ukraine.

However, DW has not found any proof he participated in fighting.

Edited by: Jan D. Walter