Ryan Routh, 59, was convicted Tuesday in federal court of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The verdict came after a two-week trial in Fort Pierce, where jurors deliberated for about two hours before finding Routh guilty on five charges, including attempted assassination, assault on a federal officer, and multiple firearms violations.
Ryan Routh found guilty on all charges.
Political violence has no place in this country.
Count 1: Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate
Count 2: Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Count 3: Assaulting a federal officer
Count 4:… pic.twitter.com/6XZ2NQVlxI
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 23, 2025
He now faces a potential life sentence when he is sentenced on December 18.
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The proceedings took a dramatic turn immediately after the verdict was read.
As jurors were preparing to leave, Routh grabbed a pen and tried to stab himself in the neck. Courtroom marshals quickly intervened, pulling him from the room while his daughter, Sara Routh, shouted, “Dad I love you. Don’t do anything. I’ll get you out. He didn’t hurt anybody.”
Routh was later returned to the courtroom in shackles.
His white shirt showed no visible signs of injury, and officials confirmed he had not sustained serious harm.
Prosecutors said Routh plotted for weeks before staking out the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15, 2024.
He was discovered by a Secret Service agent in a sniper’s nest along the edge of the course, armed with an SKS assault rifle protruding through a fence. The agent fired at Routh, who fled the scene without firing a shot.
This marked the second assassination attempt against Trump in less than three months.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Ryan Routh is yet another case of left-wing terrorism.
He drove around with a Biden/Harris sticker on his truck, donated to Democrats through ActBlue 19 times, and even voted in the 2024 Democratic primary.
Today he was found GUILTY on all charges for his… pic.twitter.com/4nzEyqgTZ6
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 23, 2025
On July 13, 2024, 20-year-old Michael Thomas Crooks opened fire during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
One bullet grazed Trump’s ear before Crooks was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Routh, a construction worker with no legal training, fired his attorneys earlier in the year and was allowed to represent himself.
His defense was marked by unorthodox arguments, bizarre courtroom behavior, and repeated clashes with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
At one point, Routh suggested the case should be settled by a golf match with Trump, saying that if he lost, Trump could execute him, and if he won, he would become president.
Judge Cannon, appointed to the bench by Trump, repeatedly interrupted Routh’s remarks when they veered into irrelevant or incoherent territory.
During opening statements, which lasted less than ten minutes, Routh made references to prehistoric human history, Adolf Hitler, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He also attempted to ask potential jurors about their opinions on issues ranging from pro-Palestinian activism to Greenland annexation, questions Cannon blocked as unrelated.
Throughout the case, Routh filed unconventional legal motions, including one that sought to call Trump as a witness, along with activist Mahmoud Khalil and a Secret Service agent he accused of misconduct.
Judge Cannon barred most of Routh’s proposed witnesses, ruling that they could not provide relevant testimony.
Prosecutors built their case with testimony from 38 law enforcement officials, including the Secret Service agent who first spotted Routh at the golf course.
The defense presented only three witnesses: two character witnesses and one firearms expert. Routh himself declined to take the stand.
In previous filings, Routh questioned why his case was not eligible for the death penalty and bizarrely suggested he should be included in a prisoner exchange with Hamas, Iran, China, and Russia.
He also repeated his demand for a golf match to the death with Trump, saying the winner should take the presidency.
Following Tuesday’s conviction, Routh was escorted from the courtroom under tight security.
His sentencing is scheduled for December 18, where he could receive a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
🚨 JUST IN: Attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh’s daughter furious and emotional as she runs away from the media, after he was found guilty on all counts
“Get the F out of my face!” pic.twitter.com/Cd7tWgxrdk
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 23, 2025
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