A federal judge will decide Wednesday whether 60-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh should receive life in prison after his conviction for attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September 2024.
Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence following a jury conviction last year on five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer. They told the court that Routh carefully planned the attack, took significant steps toward killing Trump, was willing to use lethal force against anyone who stood in his way, and has shown no remorse.
According to authorities, Routh hid in bushes at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle at Trump and a Secret Service agent. Prosecutors said the actions were extensively premeditated and motivated by a desire to stop Americans from electing the candidate he opposed, citing statements that tied his conduct to events in Ukraine and U.S. politics.
Routh represented himself at trial. He told jurors the act was a protest and denied intending to harm Trump or the agent. After his conviction, he attempted to injure himself in the courtroom, stabbing himself with a pen in front of the jury. He was later assigned counsel for sentencing proceedings.
For mitigation, Routh’s attorney has asked the judge to impose a 27-year term rather than life. The defense argues that Routh could not mount a fair defense while acting as his own lawyer despite warnings, and it submitted character letters and a psychiatric evaluation suggesting he may suffer from narcissistic personality disorder and bipolar II disorder. One letter from a Kyiv resident who met Routh when he tried to volunteer for Ukraine described him as a community asset and urged the court to allow him a chance to return to family life.
Prosecutors countered that Routh has shown little remorse, pointing to recent writings and statements that referenced the earlier attack and expressed hostility toward the president. The government also highlighted filings in which Routh suggested he would accept personal punishment from the president.
Sentencing will be held in federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida, before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. Routh’s request to have Judge Cannon removed from the case on the grounds that her appointment by Trump created a conflict of interest was denied.