A man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced yesterday to life in prison, after a federal prosecutor said the crime was unacceptable “in this country or anywhere.”
Media reports say U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced Ryan Routh in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that descended into chaos in September, when Routh attempted to stab himself shortly after a jury found him guilty on all counts.
“American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the court, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Defense attorney Martin L. Roth reportedly argued that Routh ultimately chose not to pull the trigger. The judge rejected that argument, citing Routh’s criminal history. Routh then read from a rambling 20-page statement before Cannon cut him off, saying it was irrelevant.
“Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” Cannon said. “You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”
She sentenced Routh to life without parole, plus seven years on a gun charge. Sentences for three additional convictions will run concurrently.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised prosecutors, saying Routh’s actions were “a direct assault against our entire democratic system” and that he “will never walk free again.”
Routh was convicted of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, illegal firearm possession as a felon, and possessing a gun with a defaced serial number. Prosecutors said he spent weeks planning the attack before aiming a rifle through shrubbery at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course on September 15, 2024.
A Secret Service agent testified that he spotted Routh before Trump came into view. When Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, the agent opened fire, forcing Routh to drop the weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Routh’s sentencing had been delayed after he requested legal representation instead of continuing to represent himself. His attorney sought a 27-year sentence, citing Routh’s age, but prosecutors argued he showed no remorse and demonstrated “near-total disregard for law.”
Routh had multiple prior felony convictions and an extensive online record expressing hostility toward Trump, including a self-published book in which he encouraged Iran to assassinate him.
