Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison for 2024 attempt to kill Trump in Florida
FLORIDA – Ryan Routh, 59, has been sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida in September 2024.
· Nehanda RadioA Secret Service agent spotted him hiding with a rifle, fired at him, and Routh fled the scene before being arrested nearby.
Routh pleaded not guilty, represented himself at trial, and acted erratically in court, including making unusual statements and attempting to stab himself after the guilty verdict.
Jurors heard that he had a semiautomatic rifle, a list of Trump’s likely appearances, and a note describing the incident as an “assassination attempt.”
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Judge Aileen Cannon ruled the crime warranted a life sentence, noting Routh’s months-long planning, willingness to kill anyone in his way, and lack of remorse.
“He took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major Presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,” she wrote.
Routh’s lawyer plans to appeal.
This was the second attempt on Trump’s life in 2024, following a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally that left one person dead.