Man convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump is sentenced to life

Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course weeks before the 2024 U.S. election, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday by a federal judge in Fort Pierce.

Judge Aileen Cannon told Routh that he had carried out a “premeditated, calculated plot to take a human life,” adding that the record showed a pattern of behaviour she could not ignore. Routh, 59, was convicted last September after representing himself at trial. Shackled and wearing beige prison clothing, he delivered a rambling statement that moved between foreign conflicts and personal grievances. At one point, he called himself a “failure” and said his sentence was “totally unimportant.”

Prosecutors said his actions were aimed at “upending American democracy,” and urged the court to set a clear standard against political violence. Routh had asked for a 27-year sentence. His lawyer, Martin Roth, told the court that Routh was “a troubled and complex person” but insisted he had “a very good core,” later confirming plans to appeal.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case underscored the gravity of the threat. “Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system,” she said.

In filings, Routh denied intending to kill Trump and argued that jurors were misled because he lacked proper legal training. Cannon rejected that theme, noting the “sheer seriousness” of the crimes and Routh’s history of at least 36 prior convictions.

Secret Service agents found him hidden in bushes near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on 15 September, 2024. Evidence later showed he had tracked Trump’s movements for weeks, carried six mobile phones, used false names and waited in dense vegetation for nearly 10 hours. Investigators retrieved a semi-automatic rifle, armour plates and a camera pointed at the fairway.

The plot followed an earlier incident in July 2024, when a bullet grazed Trump’s ear at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump later responded to the verdict on Truth Social, writing: “This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him.”

Routh pleaded not guilty but dismissed his lawyers and opted to conduct his own defence. After the jury delivered its verdict, he appeared to attempt to harm himself with a pen before marshals restrained him, as his daughter shouted that he had hurt no one and vowed to free him.

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