Jury selection opened Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for the federal trial of Ryan W. Routh, the North Carolina man accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club on Sept. 15, 2024. Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal counts of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms violations; the top count carries a potential life sentence.
He is representing himself, with court-appointed counsel on standby. CBS News reported Routh also faces state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
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What happened at the golf course?
Prosecutors say Routh staked out the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a semiautomatic rifle. A Secret Service agent fired after spotting Routh’s face and the rifle barrel; officials said Routh aimed at the agent, then dropped the weapon and fled without firing.
Investigators claimed Routh spent weeks researching Trump’s movements, escape routes and local hospitals, and sought heavier weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade or Stinger, later trying to buy a .50-caliber rifle. The Norinco SKS semiautomatic rifle recovered at the scene matches one he bought weeks earlier in North Carolina, according to prosecutors.
Two individuals, Tina Brown Cooper and Ronnie Jay Oxendine, later pleaded guilty to gun offenses tied to that purchase.
How is Routh defending himself?
Routh has dismissed his public defenders and is representing himself, with court-appointed counsel on standby. In court filings, he included personal attacks on Trump and even floated the idea of settling the case with a golf match — a suggestion first reported by The New York Times.
Judge Aileen Cannon has limited most of his requested witnesses as untimely, allowing only a few friends and relatives. Prosecutors plan to call FBI agents and local officers and introduce the recovered rifle.
What comes next?
Jury selection is expected to take several days, with opening statements scheduled for Sept. 11. The trial could last up to four weeks. It is the first presidential assassination-attempt trial since John W. Hinckley Jr. in 1982, when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity after shooting former President Ronald Reagan.
