West Palm Beach, Florida – Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, has been sentenced to life in prison for the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump at his golf course in September 2024. The incident occurred while Trump was campaigning for his second presidential term, an election he would later win.
A roofer with a dream to ‘fight and die for Ukraine’
Routh, a former roofer from Greensboro, North Carolina, had moved to Hawaii in 2018 with plans to build sheds addressing homelessness. He also repeatedly expressed a desire to fight in Ukraine, even appearing at a demonstration in Kyiv in April 2022.
Authorities discovered Routh had a prior criminal record including theft, driving with a suspended license, and multiple hit-and-runs. In 2002, he was charged with possession of a “weapon of mass destruction” after reaching for a machine gun during a traffic stop.
Six phones, extra licence plates and 12 pairs of gloves found in car
On September 15, 2024, Routh waited for Trump at the former president’s golf course, arriving with a rifle obtained through a complex purchase involving acquaintances. He had been at the location for nearly 12 hours before a Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of the gun poking through the fence line.
Following the attempted shooting, Routh fled in a vehicle and was apprehended with six cell phones, multiple license plates, and 12 pairs of gloves. One of the cell phones contained a Google search for travel to Mexico.
‘If he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job’
Routh chose to represent himself at trial, using court filings to express animosity towards Trump. He even challenged the former president to a physical altercation, stating, “If he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job.”
The jury found Routh guilty on all five charges, including attempted assassination. During the verdict reading, Routh attempted to stab himself with a pen before being subdued by marshals. His daughter, present in the courtroom, protested the verdict, claiming it was unfair and rigged.
Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced Routh to life in prison, describing his plan as “deliberate” and “evil.” Routh addressed the court, stating, “Nothing stands before you but a hollow American shell. Sadly, execution is not an option.”
ABC/AP
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