We actually have two questions that require answers in the wake of Sunday’s assassination attempt on Donald Trump by a (well-)”known wolf”. The first question: Why didn’t federal security and intel agencies take Ryan Wesley Routh seriously? He had a decades-long track record of criminal activity, and numerous people tried to warn the FBI, Homeland Security, and the State Department of his dangerous nature.
We may wait a long time for a satisfactory explanation for that question. Thanks to Tanya Lukyanova, however, we have a good answer to the second question: Why did American media outlets take Routh seriously? Lukyanova reported for Semafor a couple of years ago and interviewed Routh, and was hardly alone. Lots of news outlets — and Lukyanova brings receipts — treated Routh as a good source for their narratives on Ukraine, even while Routh himself clearly had some mental health…
