Trump assassination suspect set for court trial at the West Palm golf course location
Ryan Wesley Routh, a North Carolina resident, is preparing to stand trial for high-stakes charges of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club. The trial, scheduled to begin on Monday in Fort Pierce federal court, stems from an incident less than two months before Trump won the presidency for a second time in September 2024.
The incident unfolded on Trump's golf course, where Routh was hiding with a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a scope and an extended magazine. The FBI found the weapon, but the serial number had been obliterated, making it unreadable. Routh fled the scene, leaving his weapon behind with his fingerprints on the electrical tape attached to the scope.
As the drama unfolded, a Secret Service agent spotted Routh hiding behind a chain-link fence with a rifle scope on Trump's golf course. The agent immediately took action, firing four shots at Routh. Hanging from the fence was a backpack and a reusable shopping bag - each containing a plate capable of stopping small arms fire.
Routh's case was randomly assigned to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was nominated by Trump to the federal bench in 2020. However, the name of the federal judge presiding over Routh's initial trial is not specified in the provided search results.
Investigations revealed that Routh had been planning the attack for some time. The FBI found a handwritten list of dates in August, September, and October of last year and venues where the former president had appeared or was expected to be present.
Records for two of the cellphones found in Routh's Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15 of last year, Routh's mobile phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Soon after Routh's arrest, a civilian witness in North Carolina contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence several months before the attempted assassination attempt. The box contained a smattering of items, including ammunition, building materials, four cellphones, and handwritten letters.
One of those letters outlined Routh's plans, stating, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job." In the letter, Routh offered a $150,000 reward "to whomever can complete the job." Among the grievances outlined in the letter is that Trump, during his first term as president, "ended relations with Iran" and that, consequently, "the Middle East has unraveled."
Routh dismissed his taxpayer-funded lawyer over the summer and will be defending himself at trial. In a self-published book, Routh described his prior support of Trump as a "terrible mistake" and called Trump an "idiot."
The U.S. government's classified documents case against Trump was dismissed last year by Judge Cannon, who was also presiding over that case. The outcome of Routh's trial will undoubtedly generate significant interest and discussion in the coming days.
