Ryan Routh, the second alleged would-be assassin of President Donald Trump, is set to begin arguing his case on Monday in the third week of his federal trial over last year’s assassination attempt in Florida.
Routh, who is representing himself, has said he plans to call a firearms expert and two character witnesses to the stand. It remains unclear whether he plans to testify himself.
Federal prosecutors wrapped up their case on Friday after presenting to the jury a variety of evidence from investigators, forensic experts, and Routh’s acquaintances proving the defendant is guilty.
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Witnesses said Routh traveled from his home in Hawaii to North Carolina and drove to West Palm Beach, where he staked out Trump’s golf club about 17 times.
Two law enforcement officials testified that Routh had also tracked Trump’s plane. An FBI Honolulu agent said Routh had a document with Trump’s plane tail number and flight plans. Routh also visited the Palm Beach International Airport to watch Trump’s plane take off, according to a local detective.
The jury also heard testimony from two of Routh’s former employees, who said he left a box containing bullet cartridges, pipes, cellphones, and other items at their home in Greensboro, North Carolina, in April 2024. The box also contained a letter in which Routh confessed to the assassination attempt and offered a $150,000 reward to anyone who could successfully assassinate Trump if he failed.
“Dear World, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you,” the handwritten letter reads. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job.”
An FBI investigator testified that bank records showed he had the money to pay the $150,000 sum.
The suspect’s phone records and license plate data were also used by prosecutors to connect him to the alleged assassination attempt last fall.
Expected to last up to four weeks, the trial overlapped with the one-year anniversary of the attempted assassination. It came amid Trump’s 2024 run for president. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is presiding over the case.
On Sept. 15, 2024, Routh set up position behind a fence outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he kept watch for the then-Republican presidential nominee. The alleged suspect aimed his rifle once Trump got closer, but his plan was thwarted by a Secret Service agent who opened fire on the gunman. Routh then fled, and authorities arrested him shortly thereafter.
An FBI agent, who has sniper experience, revealed that Routh’s hiding spot was an ideal place for him to scout and shoot Trump. It was located about 126 feet from the golf course’s sixth hole. It was also well hidden by shrubbery. The witness said the rifle in Routh’s possession has an effective range of 1,150 feet, well over the distance between the hiding spot and the sixth hole.
Routh is facing five federal charges, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and the assault of a federal officer. He has pleaded not guilty.
Beyond the federal counts, Routh is subject to state charges for attempted first-degree murder and terrorism.
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At the trial’s start, the defendant delivered an unusual opening statement discussing the origin of humanity and international conflicts, among other irrelevant topics. Cannon then issued a warning about rambling off-topic, saying he should not “make a mockery of the dignity of this courtroom.” He later told the jurors to look at the intent behind his alleged actions.
Routh is expected to continue portraying himself as a peaceful man to counter the prosecution’s arguments. The character evidence Routh plans to present, he told Cannon, would demonstrate his “peacefulness, gentleness, and non-violence.”