A federal jury convicted a man of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course in 2024. Ryan Routh, 59, was found guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Routh was also found guilty of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
According to reports, after the verdict was read, Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen before authorities stopped him.
During the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, prosecutors argued that Routh had spent several weeks planning to kill Trump. They said Routh was excessively stalking Trump and that he made 17 separate trips to Trump’s golf course before the incident last year.
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Rifle found hidden near golf course
According to court documents, on Sept. 15, 2024, Routh was arrested after hiding in a wooded area of Trump International Golf Course, where then-candidate Trump was playing. A Secret Service agent was doing a security sweep around the perimeter of an area and saw part of a man’s face hidden in the brush near the fence line with a rifle pointed at the agent. The man was later confirmed to be Routh.
FBI agents searched the area where he had been hiding and found a SKS semiautomatic rifle equipped with a scope, an extended magazine, and a defaced serial number.
A witness at the trial told the court that Routh left a box at his house in April, after one of Routh’s trips to the area near Trump’s golf course. According to the DOJ, inside the box was a handwritten letter from Routh, admitting, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Trump, DOJ respond to verdict
During the nearly three-week trial, Routh represented himself and argued that he never actually intended to kill anyone. He chose not to testify during his trial.
The incident was the second attempted assassination in a two-month period on Trump’s life. The first attempt happened in July 2024, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. During that attack, Trump was shot at, and a bullet grazed his ear, resulting in a minor injury. The shooter hit 50-year-old retired fire chief Corey Comperatore, who died from the gunshot wound.
Trump responded to the verdict on Truth Social, writing in part, “This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him. I would also like to thank the Secret Service, Department of Florida Law Enforcement, and the wonderful person who spotted him running from the site of the crime, and acted by following him, and getting all information on car type and license plate to the Sheriff’s Office, IMMEDIATELY, which led to his arrest and conviction. What incredible instinct and foresight this person had — A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”
The Department of Justice also released a statement following the verdict.
“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people. I want to thank and congratulate the trial team and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work and dedication in bringing this case to justice.”
