Ryan Routh has been convicted on all counts related to his attempt to assassinate then-presidential contender Donald Trump in September 2024.
Routh, 59, was apprehended by law enforcement following a manhunt in Palm Beach, Florida, after Secret Service agents discovered him hiding in bushes near one of Trump’s golf courses where the Republican was playing at the time.
A gun and a camera were found at the scene where Routh fled.
The jurors reached a unanimous verdict after deliberating for just over two hours.
“Today’s guilty verdict against the would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh underscores the Department of Justice’s dedication to prosecuting individuals who commit political violence,” Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on X following the verdict.
‘This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself.’
Routh was found guilty of five charges related to his assassination attempt. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
His charges include attempting to assassinate a significant presidential candidate, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition due to his felon status, possession of a firearm with an erased serial number, and having a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, as well as assaulting a federal officer.
In this photograph provided by the Martin County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement officers are seen arresting Ryan Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.
This courtroom drawing depicts U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon as she listens to prosecutor Christopher during the trial of Ryan Routh, on the left, who stands accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump last year at a golf course in South Florida, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Fort Pierce, Fla.
Fox News reported that Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen before being apprehended by authorities.
His daughter, Sarah Ellen Routh, reportedly began screaming expletives in the courtroom before crying and storming out of the building.
She was later filmed sobbing and running past cameras as she left.
The attempted assassination occurred just nine weeks after the presidential candidate survived an attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania.
He was spotted by a Secret Service agent who spotted the barrel of Routh’s Chinese-made SKS rifle sticking out of the bushes of the sixth hole.
Special Agent Robert Fercano testified he drew his weapon and fired at the barrel and face of a man behind it, after he saw the barrel track his movements.
He described the situation as a ‘textbook ambush scenario’ during the trial and spoke directly to Routh.
‘I saw you in the bushes … you smiled at me,’ Fercano said during the trial.
Routh was found guilty on all five charges against him
A screen grab from body cam footage of Routh’s arrest
A picture of Routh’s Hawaii home
Routh fled the scene after he was shot at and tried to escape the Secret Service.
A witness later saw the attempted assassin flee the scene and was able to photograph a vehicle Routh used, which was later given to law enforcement.
Routh represented himself in his federal trial.
‘What is intent? … Why are we here? What is our intent? To love one another … Is this so difficult?’ he asked at one point during his trial, according to live coverage of the court proceedings.
While defending himself, Routh referred to Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Putin, Sudan, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech.
This is a breaking news story and will continue to be updated.
