Florida (BN24) – Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year, was found guilty Tuesday following a two-week trial marked by tense exchanges and a shocking courtroom scene in which he tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen.
The Florida jury deliberated for just two and a half hours before convicting Routh, 59, on charges of attempted assassination, assaulting a Secret Service agent, and three federal firearms violations stemming from the Sept. 15, 2024, incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. He now faces life in prison when sentenced on Dec. 18.
As the guilty verdict was read, Routh lunged at himself with a pen in an apparent suicide attempt. “Dad, don’t hurt yourself,” his daughter Sara screamed, as bailiffs restrained him and rushed him out of the courtroom. Minutes later, Routh returned in handcuffs with no visible injuries. He exchanged glances and even winked at his children before being led away again.
Trump, responding on Truth Social, hailed the decision as “a very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA,” thanking Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the Department of Justice team for what he called a “meticulously handled” trial. “This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him,” Trump wrote.
Bondi called the attempted assassination “an affront to our very nation itself,” adding that the verdict underscored the Justice Department’s commitment to punishing political violence.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who presided over the trial, repeatedly admonished Routh, who chose to represent himself despite her warnings it was a “bad idea.” Over the course of the proceedings, Routh delivered rambling arguments, veered into unrelated topics including Jan. 6 and Ukraine, and was cut off several times for straying outside the bounds of the case.
Prosecutors said Routh had planned the attack for months and left behind a note addressed “To the World,” which stated explicitly: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.” Secret Service Agent Robert Fercano testified that he discovered Routh hiding in shrubbery near the fifth hole, waiting for Trump to appear in his line of fire.
During the trial, federal prosecutors called 38 witnesses who placed Routh at the scene and described how he came close to carrying out the attack. Routh, who had once supported Trump but later turned against him, called only three witnesses and rested his case before noon on the final day.
The verdict came just two days after Trump attended a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose recent killing on a Utah college campus has fueled rising concerns about political violence across the United States.
Routh, originally from North Carolina and now a Hawaii resident, is being held as he awaits sentencing. If given the maximum penalty, he could spend the rest of his life in federal prison.
