Life sentence for the man who tried to kill Trump on a golf course
Ryan Routh, 59, was discovered by Secret Service agents pointing a semi-automatic weapon at the tycoon.
WashingtonRyan Routh, the man accused of the thwarted assassination attempt against Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024, has been sentenced to life in prison. Routh was discovered by Secret Service agents in the surrounding bushes pointing a semi-automatic rifle at the Republican. The foiled attack was the second attempt on the president's life during the election campaign that returned him to the White House. Following an unusual and uneven trial in which Routh represented himself, the jury found him guilty of five counts last September, including attempted murder. This Wednesday, months after the jury's decision, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon handed down the sentence in Fort Pierce, Florida. "It is clear to me that he participated in a premeditated and calculated plan to take a human life," Cannon told Routh, who listened silently to the sentence.
The prosecution had recommended a life sentence last month, while Routh, 59, had asked the judge—appointed by Trump—for a 27-year prison term. Prosecutor John Shipley stated during the hearing that Routh's crime was intended to "destabilize American democracy" and urged Judge Cannon to send a clear message that political violence is unacceptable.
Routh did not manage to shoot Trump, as a Secret Service agent detected him before he could. After being caught, Routh attempted to flee in a black Nissan van but was apprehended. Police records showed that Routh had a history of weapons possession and altercations with police. In total, his record contained more than 100 criminal charges in North Carolina.
In March 2023, Routh was interviewed by the New York Times In a report about Americans traveling to Ukraine to help in the war against Russia, Routh described himself as "a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina" with no military experience. He said he had spent several months in Ukraine in 2022 trying to recruit Afghan soldiers who had fled the Taliban to fight on the Ukrainian front. He also told the American media outlet that he had once visited Washington to meet with politicians and bolster his support for Ukraine. On his X account—before it was suspended—posts criticizing Donald Trump and Democrats Joe Biden and Kamala Harris could also be found. In the 2024 primaries, he endorsed Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, the two rivals Trump defeated. In contrast, in 2020 Routh expressed his admiration for Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, now a Trump convert as Director of National Intelligence in the Trump administration.