Trial set to begin for man charged with Trump assassination attempt
Share this @internewscast.com

Trump was uninjured, and there’s no evidence that Routh fired his weapon at the golf course where he was playing.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A federal trial is set to commence Monday for a man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump while he was playing golf in Florida in September 2024.

The jury selection process is anticipated to span three days, involving the questioning of three groups of 60 prospective jurors. The goal is to select 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are slated for Thursday, followed immediately by the prosecution’s case. The court has allocated four weeks for the trial, though attorneys believe they will require less time.

Here’s what to know about the case.

The judge lets Routh represent himself

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon consented in July to Ryan Routh’s request to represent himself during his trial, stipulating that court-appointed attorneys should remain as standby counsel.

The judge expressed to Routh her opinion that representing himself was inadvisable, but he remained undeterred. Routh, who completed two years of college following his GED certification, assured Cannon that he was aware of the potential difficulties and would be prepared.

During a hearing earlier this week, Cannon assured that Routh would be attired in professional business clothing for the trial. She also clarified that Routh would be permitted to use a podium while addressing the jury or questioning witnesses, though he would not have unrestricted movement within the courtroom.

“If you make any sudden movements, marshals will take decisive and quick action to respond,” Cannon said.

Routh is a self-styled mercenary leader

The 59-year-old Routh, originally a construction worker from North Carolina, had relocated to Hawaii in recent years. Describing himself as a mercenary leader, Routh reportedly shared his dangerous, sometimes violent intentions to engage in global conflicts with anyone willing to listen, according to witnesses interviewed by The Associated Press.

In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he had a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.

In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.

Routh is charged with attempted assassination

Authorities said Routh tried to assassinate Trump, the Republican nominee for presidential, while he played golf at his golf club in West Palm Beach.

Routh is facing five felony counts in federal court in Fort Pierce. They include attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate; possessing a firearm to carry out a violent crime; assaulting a federal officer; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

Same judge presided over Trump case

Cannon is the same judge who presided over another high-profile case involving Trump — the classified documents case.

Last year, Cannon sided with Trump’s lawyers who said the special counsel who filed the charges was illegally appointed by the U.S. Justice Department. Cannon’s ruling halted a criminal case that at the time it was filed was widely regarded as the most perilous of all the legal threats the president faced before he returned to office last January.

Cannon was a former federal prosecutor who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020.

Trump was not hurt by Routh

Trump was uninjured, and there’s no evidence that Routh fired his weapon at the golf course. U.S. Secret Service agents stationed a few holes up from where Trump was playing golf noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away. An agent fired, and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera. He was later stopped by law enforcement in a neighboring county.

Last September’s alleged assassination attempt took place just nine weeks after Trump survived another attempt on his life in Pennsylvania.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
'Career criminal' kills two women, injures child in Minneapolis carjacking rampage: prosecutors

“Repeat Offender’s Violent Carjacking in Minneapolis Leaves Two Women Dead and Child Injured, Say Prosecutors”

A habitual offender is facing federal charges in Minnesota after allegedly leading…
Shark kills beachgoer in attack at Sydney beach, authorities say

Shark Attack Claims Life at Sydney Beach, Officials Report

A man in his 50s tragically lost his life after being attacked…
South Austin, Chicago shooting today: Injured officer fatally shoots burglary suspect on North Waller Avenue, CPD says

Chicago’s South Austin Incident: Officer Injured in Shooting Kills Burglary Suspect on North Waller Avenue, According to CPD

CHICAGO (WLS) — An injured Chicago police officer fatally shot a burglary…
The Chicago Help Initiative to host Carnaval of Giving at Fogo de Chão at 661 N. LaSalle Drive in River North, Chicago

Carnaval of Giving hosted by The Chicago Help Initiative at Fogo de Chão, River North, Chicago

The Chicago Help Initiative, a reliable support source for those facing homelessness…
Chicago mayor calls Trump's federalization threats 'beneath the honor of our nation,' protests planned

Chicago’s Mayor Criticizes Trump’s Federalization Threats as Unworthy of Our Nation, Protests Anticipated

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Saturday addressed President Donald Trump’s prospective plans…
Davey Johnson, who won World Series twice with Baltimore as player, managed Mets to title, dies

Davey Johnson, twice World Series Champion with Orioles and Mets’ Title-Winning Manager, Passes Away

NEW YORK (AP) — Davey Johnson, an All-Star second baseman who clinched…
Wow: ICE Has Reportedly Told Kilmar Abrego Garcia His New Destination - and It's Not Uganda

Shocking Update: ICE Informs Kilmar Abrego Garcia of His Unexpected New Destination – It’s Not Uganda

The Trump administration may have finally outmatched the legal team representing Kilmar…
North Carolina city declares itself a 'Fourth Amendment Workplace' to protect illegal immigrants from ICE

North Carolina City Establishes ‘Fourth Amendment Workplace’ to Shield Undocumented Immigrants from ICE

A city in North Carolina has taken steps to designate itself as…
ICE deports Mexican illegal immigrant accused of aggravated rape against family member

ICE Deports Mexican Immigrant Accused of Aggravated Rape Against a Family Member

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it deported a Mexican illegal immigrant…
DC police release name of third suspect in Capitol Hill intern murder, offer $50K reward

DC police identify third suspect in Capitol Hill intern’s murder; $50K reward offered

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has announced a reward of $50,000 for…
JSO: Homeowner shoots, kills man during break-in on Pearl Street in Jacksonville

Intruder Shot and Killed by Homeowner During Break-in on Pearl Street, Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the homeowner was detained for questioning. JACKSONVILLE,…
Video shows Minneapolis church shooter buying gun before attack, appearing ‘perfectly normal’: store owner

Footage reveals Minneapolis church shooter purchasing weapon pre-attack, seemed ‘completely ordinary’: shop owner states

The individual responsible for the tragic shooting at a Minneapolis church, which…