Ryan Routh, the suspected attempted assassin of President Donald Trump, has penned a unique letter to the judge, questioning the absence of the death penalty as an option, and suggesting his inclusion in a prisoner exchange with U.S. opponents. He even proposed being sent to endure Siberian conditions in return for a Ukrainian soldier.
Routh, who has indicated he now wishes to defend himself in court, presented these extraordinary requests in correspondence to U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. She is presiding over the federal criminal proceedings against him. Routh faces charges including the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearms offenses related to the September 15 episode in Florida, marking the second such attempt against Trump in recent months.
“Why is the death penalty not considered? At nearly 60 years old, a life devoid of love is meaningless—what is the purpose? Why isn’t it all or nothing?” Routh questioned in the letter filed in the case docket.
Ryan Routh, the accused would-be assassin of President Donald Trump, is arrested. Routh has written an unusual letter to the judge asking why the death penalty isn’t on the table — and proposing that he be included in a prisoner swap with U.S. adversaries.
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