Man Who Tried to Kill Trump Handed Life in Prison

A Florida man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a golf course in 2024 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon delivered the sentence to Ryan Routh in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that descended into chaos last September, when Routh attempted to stab himself shortly after being found guilty on all counts.

“It’s clear to me that you engaged in a premeditated, calculated plot to take a human life,” Cannon said. “Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil. You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”

In addition to the life sentence, Routh received a consecutive seven-year term for a separate gun conviction.

During the hearing, Routh, shackled at the hands and wearing beige prison attire, delivered a rambling statement touching on foreign conflicts and his desire to be exchanged for political prisoners overseas. “I have given every drop of who I am every day for the betterment of my community and this nation,” he said. Cannon interrupted, stating that his remarks were irrelevant and allowed him only five additional minutes to speak.

Prosecutors detailed that Routh spent several weeks planning the attack before aiming a rifle through shrubbery at Trump while he played golf on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent assigned to protect Trump testified that he saw Routh aiming the weapon at him before the former president came into view. The agent opened fire, causing Routh to drop the rifle and flee without firing a shot.

The courtroom erupted into chaos during Routh’s trial last September when jurors returned guilty verdicts on all counts, including attempting to kill a presidential candidate and multiple firearm offenses. Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen and had to be quickly restrained by officers.

Routh’s sentencing had been initially scheduled for December but was postponed after he chose to have legal representation during the sentencing phase, instead of representing himself as he had throughout most of the trial.

Prosecutors argued that Routh has never acknowledged responsibility for his actions and that a life sentence was warranted under federal sentencing guidelines. “Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law,” their memorandum stated.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley emphasized during the hearing that Routh’s actions threatened the core of American democracy. “American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates. That’s what this individual tried to do,” he said.

Routh’s defense attorney, Martin L. Roth, had sought a reduced sentence of 20 years, arguing that Routh, who is nearly 60, should not be condemned to die in prison. Roth also noted that “at the moment of truth, he chose not to pull the trigger,” while acknowledging Routh’s complex character and asserting he had a “very good core.” Judge Cannon rejected these arguments, citing Routh’s long history of arrests and his deliberate, violent intentions.

Routh’s plot occurred just nine weeks after another assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Thomas Crooks fired eight shots, grazing the former president’s ear, before being killed by Secret Service countersnipers.

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