A man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump days after his Pennsylvania visit has been sentenced to life in prison.
Ryan Routh, 59, set up a sniper’s nest on the edge of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course in Florida before being intercepted by the Secret Service.
The would-be attack was thwarted just months after Trump survived his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
When Routh was found guilty of the crime in September, he tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen in a Florida courtroom.
He was found guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh represented himself in court and said some rather unorthodox things throughout the trial. At one point, he challenged Trump to a round of golf, saying, ‘If he wins, he can execute me; if I win, I get his job.’
Who is Ryan Wesley Routh?
Routh, originally from Guilford County, North Carolina, was a roofer and activist. He has three children.
In recent years, he was a staunch advocate for Ukraine and lived in Hawaii.
An associate of Routh’s, who met him a couple of times in Kyiv last year, previously told Metro: ‘I was shocked to hear the news this morning.
‘He was trying to develop a couple of strategies in Ukraine; one was Defence through supporting the International Legion, and the other was attracting investment from other countries.
‘He seemed like a harmless old man, and I would never have thought that he could be accused of attempted murder.’
Routh’s social media channels show he had been approaching celebrities, musicians, politicians and journalists in trying to support Ukraine.
Routh has also tried to build bridges with North Korea, saying on X that he wanted to arrange a US tour for Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.
He told one journalist that ‘we can build a friendship between Kim and the American people and end all sanctions and hostilities.’
When was the Trump assassination attempt?
On September 15, 2024, a Secret Service agent spotted Routh with a firearm at the fence line near the fifth hole and shot at him.
South fled the scene in a vehicle and was arrested later that afternoon on Interstate 95 in Martin County, Florida, just an hour north of West Palm Beach.
During Routh’s two-week trial, he represented himself and gave a rambling closing argument, claiming that he committed no crime because he never opened fire at Trump.
‘To merely have a weapon in the presence of another does not mean intent,’ said Routh.
What has Trump said about Ryan Routh?
Trump rejoiced at the verdict, calling Routh ‘an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him’.
‘Congratulations to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the entire DOJ team on the conviction, in Florida, of the person who attempted an assassination on my life,’ he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
‘The trial was meticulously handled, and I would like to thank the Judge and Jury for their time, professionalism, and patience…
‘I would also like to thank the Secret Service, Department of Florida Law Enforcement, and the wonderful person who spotted him running from the site of the crime, and acted by following him, and getting all information on car type and license plate to the Sheriff’s Office, IMMEDIATELY, which led to his arrest and conviction.’
Trump concluded that it was ‘a very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA’.
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