The trial of Ryan Wesley Routh ended in chaos Tuesday when he tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen moments after a Florida jury convicted him of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year on a golf course.
Ryan Routh Claimed He Didn’t Commit a Crime
“Dad, don’t hurt yourself,” his daughter, Sara, shouted as bailiffs wrestled Routh to the ground and rushed him out of the courtroom.
He was brought back a short time later, now in handcuffs. His white shirt showed no signs of blood, and he appeared uninjured. “We love you, Dad,” his son Adam called out as Routh was led away again. Routh gave his children a quick wink as he disappeared from the room.
The jury had taken just two and a half hours to return guilty verdicts, not only on the assassination attempt but also on charges of assaulting a Secret Service agent and three federal firearms violations. Routh, 59, who had pleaded not guilty, now faces life in prison when he is sentenced on December 18.
Trump quickly celebrated the verdict on Truth Social, calling it “a very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” and praising Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the DOJ team for “meticulously” handling the trial.
Bondi called the attempted assassination “an affront to our very nation itself,” adding that the conviction showed the Justice Department’s determination to punish political violence.
Routh, a Hawaii resident originally from North Carolina, served as his own lawyer during the two-week trial. His closing arguments veered wildly — at one point he claimed no crime was committed because no shots were fired, before digressing into topics like Jan. 6, Ukraine, and Patrick Henry. Judge Aileen Cannon repeatedly cut him off for straying outside the case.
Routh Planned Out His Assassination Attempt
Prosecutors, meanwhile, pointed to a handwritten note Routh left behind in North Carolina, bluntly stating: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.” They told jurors the plan had been long in the making.
Routh was arrested on Sept. 15, 2024, after Secret Service Agent Robert Fercano discovered him hiding in the bushes near the fifth hole of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, waiting for Trump to come into his sights. Federal prosecutors called 38 witnesses over seven days, saying Routh could have succeeded if not for the agent’s quick action.
Despite Cannon’s warning that representing himself was a “bad idea,” Routh insisted on it after clashing with his court-appointed attorneys. He ended up calling only three witnesses, wrapping up his defense before lunch on Monday.
The verdict comes as the nation grapples with heightened fears of political violence, just days after Trump spoke at the memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on a Utah campus earlier this month.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. High Wire Media operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
 |  |  |
About the Author
