FORT PIERCE, FL. — The trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate Donald J. Trump on a Florida golf course last year, came to a dramatic conclusion Tuesday when Routh tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen moments after being convicted.
“Dad, don’t hurt yourself,” his daughter, Sara, cried out as bailiffs rushed to restrain Routh and remove him from the courtroom. Minutes later, Routh was brought back in handcuffs to finish proceedings. No blood was visible on his white shirt, and he appeared unharmed. His son, Adam, called out, “We love you, Dad,” as Routh winked at his children before being escorted out again.
The jury deliberated just 2½ hours before finding the 59-year-old Hawaii resident guilty on multiple counts, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a U.S. Secret Service agent, and three federal gun charges connected to the September 15, 2024, incident. He faces life in prison when sentenced on December 18.
As of Wednesday morning, Routh was under suicide observation in the medical dorm at St. Lucie County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Routh had hidden near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where then-former President Trump was playing. U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano spotted Routh aiming a rifle from a sniper’s hide and opened fire. Routh fled but was later arrested on I-95 after a witness reported seeing him leave the golf course in a black Nissan Xterra.
Inside the vehicle, investigators found multiple cell phones, a list of outgoing international flights, and directions to Miami International Airport. Cell records showed repeated visits near Trump International and Mar-a-Lago in the weeks before the incident. Authorities also recovered an SKS-style rifle with its serial number obliterated, armor plates, a scoped magazine, and a camera trained on the green where Trump was playing.
A handwritten letter later discovered by investigators read: “Dear World, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Top officials condemned the plot as an assault on democracy.
“Today’s guilty verdict against would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized: “An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen. The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called the act “disgusting” and said the case showed how close the country came to “a tragedy of historic proportions.” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said the evidence, from weapons and surveillance equipment to the confession letter, painted a “chilling attempt to assassinate then former-President Trump.”
Routh was convicted of:
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Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate (maximum: life in prison)
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Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime (maximum: life in prison)
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Assaulting a federal officer (maximum: 20 years)
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Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition (maximum: 15 years)
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Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number (maximum: 5 years)
A federal judge will determine his sentence in December after reviewing sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, ATF, and local law enforcement agencies collaborated on the case. Senior prosecutors from the Justice Department’s National Security Division and the Southern District of Florida led the trial team.
Routh has ties to the roofing industry as a former owner of three roofing businesses in North Carolina between 2002-2015.
