Ryan Routh found guilty in Trump assassination attempt
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Ryan Wesley Routh on Independence Square in Kyiv on June 23, 2022. Photo: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
The man accused of planning to assassinate President Trump at his Florida golf club last year was found guilty on Tuesday.
The big picture: Ryan Routh was convicted on the five charges he faced, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
What they're saying: Trump praised the Justice Department for Routh's trial, adding in a Truth Social post on Tuesday that the conviction was a "very big moment" for justice in America.
- "The trial was meticulously handled, and I would like to thank the Judge and Jury for their time, professionalism, and patience. This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him," Trump wrote.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi also praised law enforcement for their "commitment to punishing" political violence, adding in a press release announcing Routh's conviction that the attempted assassination was "not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself."
Catch up quick: Prosecutors alleged Routh spent weeks planning to kill Trump before Sept. 15, 2024, when a Secret Service agent saw him pointing a gun through the tree line at the president's Florida golf course.
- He fled the scene, but was arrested after a short pursuit.
- Days after the incident, a witness contacted law enforcement about a handwritten letter Routh had allegedly dropped off to them months prior, per court filings. Addressed to the "World," it read, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump."
State of play: In July, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh's request to represent himself at trial.
- Routh, who had hoped to call a number of witnesses unrelated to the case and the president himself, ultimately called just three people to testify: a firearms expert and two character witnesses.
Flashback: The incident involving Routh was the second assassination attempt targeting then-candidate Trump during the 2024 campaign, following the shooting at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally.
Go deeper: Charlie Kirk killing deepens America's violent spiral
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
