Ryan Routh Convicted in Trump Assassination Plot; Sketch Shows Courtroom Struggle

Courtesy of American Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida jury on Tuesday convicted Ryan Routh, 59, of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024.

The jury deliberated for just two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. Moments later, the courtroom erupted in chaos when Routh grabbed a pen from a desk and tried to stab himself in the neck. U.S. Marshals quickly subdued him as his daughter, Sara, screamed from the gallery, “Dad, I love you, don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”

Routh was later brought back into court shackled, without his jacket and tie, and showing no visible signs of injury. The judge scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18 at 9:30 a.m., where Routh faces a potential life sentence.

The Case

Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks planning the assassination attempt, using burner phones, disguises, and surveillance to get close to Trump. On Sept. 12, 2024, he was discovered with a rifle hidden in shrubbery near the sixth hole of Trump’s country club.

A Secret Service agent testified that Routh aimed the rifle at him before the agent fired first, forcing Routh to drop the weapon and flee. Routh was later arrested with the help of a witness who spotted him running from the scene.

Representing himself at trial, Routh argued that no crime was committed because he never fired his weapon. “It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” he told jurors.

Convictions

The jury found Routh guilty on all counts, including:

• Attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate

• Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

• Assaulting a federal officer

• Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon

• Possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number

National Response

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the guilty verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen.”

Background

Routh, a North Carolina native and self-styled mercenary, had a history of violent plots and run-ins with law enforcement. He once attempted to recruit foreign fighters for conflicts overseas and was arrested in 2002 in Greensboro for barricading himself with an automatic weapon and an explosive device.

The Florida attempt came just nine weeks after Trump survived another assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire, grazing Trump’s ear before being fatally shot by Secret Service.