2026-02-04 19:45
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2026-02-04 19:45
Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024. Trump was a candidate for US president at the time.
The prosecutor's office demanded a life sentence without the possibility of parole for Routh, claiming that the man showed no remorse and never apologized, the AP reported. The lawyer asked for 27 years in prison, drawing attention to the age of the convict, who will turn 60 in February.
Judge Aileen Cannon, addressing Routh, said it was evident to her that he “participated in a calculated, calculated plan to take human life,” Reuters reported.
Prosecutor John Shipley said Routh's crimes were intended to “tear down American democracy” and called on the judge to send a message with the sentence that political violence is unacceptable.
Reuters reported that Routh gave a rambling speech in which he mentioned he wanted to be exchanged for political prisoners abroad. “I dedicated myself fully every day for the good of my community and this country,” Routh said.
The verdict was announced in the same courtroom where Routh tried to cut his neck with a pen in September after being found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump.
The jury found him guilty of all charges. The charges against him include, among others: attempted assassination, assault on a federal officer and violation of firearms laws.
Routh's trial began almost a year after the events of September 15, 2024. According to the prosecutor's office, a Secret Service agent thwarted an assassination attempt on Trump while the politician was playing golf at a club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump was a presidential candidate at the time.
Investigators say Routh planned the assassination for weeks, then on September 15, 2024, he showed up with a rifle and pointed it at Trump. The security agent opened fire on the attacker, who in response dropped his weapon and fled without firing a single shot.
The man pleaded not guilty and represented himself in court. He told the jury he didn't plan to kill anyone. – It's hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if no one pulled the trigger – he argued.
Prosecutors emphasized that Routh, a construction worker from North Carolina but most recently living in Hawaii, has a troubled past. He presented himself as a mercenary leader and declared his willingness to participate in global conflicts, even trying to recruit volunteers for the war in Ukraine. In 2002, he was detained when he barricaded himself from the police with automatic weapons and explosives, and in 2010, over 100 stolen items were found in his warehouse. In both cases he received suspended sentences.
From Washington Natalia Dziurdzińska (PAP)
Sun/ akl/
