Ryan Routh, the man found guilty of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a 2024 incident at a Florida golf course, has been handed a life sentence in federal prison. Prosecutors described his actions as intolerable, insisting the offense had no place “in this country or anywhere.”
The sentencing was delivered Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, the same courtroom where Routh caused a disturbance months earlier. Shortly after a jury returned guilty verdicts against him in September, Routh created chaos in the courtroom when he attempted to stab himself.
During the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley stressed the broader implications of the case, telling the court, “American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates. That’s what this individual tried to do.”
Routh’s defense team argued that his actions stopped short of carrying out the ultimate act. Attorney Martin L. Roth told the court that “at the moment of truth, he chose not to pull the trigger.”
Judge Cannon challenged that argument, pointing to Routh’s long record of arrests. Roth acknowledged the troubled background but urged the court to consider his client’s character, stating, “He’s a complex person, I’ll give the court that, but he has a very good core.”
Routh later addressed the court by reading from a lengthy and scattered 20 page statement. Judge Cannon interrupted him, noting that his remarks were not relevant to the sentencing and limited him to five additional minutes.
“I did everything I could and lived a good life,” Routh said before being cut off.
Cannon delivered a harsh rebuke while announcing the sentence. “Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” she said. “You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”
The court imposed life imprisonment without parole along with an additional seven year term for a firearms offense. Sentences related to three other convictions will run concurrently, the AP reported.
Following the ruling, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement on the social platform X, praising the prosecution team and declaring that Routh “will never walk free again.”
“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,” Bondi said.
READ ALSO: Trial set to begin for man accused of trying to kill Trump
Routh’s sentencing had originally been scheduled for December but was postponed after he decided to retain legal counsel for the sentencing phase instead of representing himself, as he did during most of the trial.
A jury had found Routh guilty on multiple counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, using a firearm to further a violent crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon and carrying a weapon with a defaced serial number.
Federal prosecutors maintained that Routh showed no remorse. In a sentencing memorandum, they wrote, “Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk, and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law.”
The defense sought a significantly lighter punishment, requesting a 20 year sentence in addition to the mandatory seven years for the firearms charge. In court filings, Roth argued for the possibility of eventual release, writing, “The defendant is two weeks short of being sixty years old. A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Routh allegedly spent weeks planning the assassination attempt. Prosecutors said he positioned himself in shrubbery near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club on September 15, 2024, pointing a rifle toward the area where the Republican presidential candidate was playing.
A Secret Service agent assigned to Trump’s protection testified that he noticed Routh before the president came into view. The agent opened fire after Routh aimed his rifle at him, prompting Routh to abandon the weapon and flee without firing.
In a motion requesting legal representation, Routh made unusual proposals, including offering himself in a prisoner exchange for individuals he claimed were wrongly detained overseas. He also wrote that Trump could “take out his frustrations on my face.”
“Just a quarter of an inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all of this mess,” Routh wrote. He added, “but I always fail at everything (par for the course).”
When granting Routh’s request for an attorney, Judge Cannon criticized the filing, describing it as a “disrespectful charade” that undermined the court’s dignity. Despite her criticism, she approved the request, emphasizing the importance of preserving the defendant’s right to legal representation.
Cannon had earlier approved Routh’s request to defend himself during trial proceedings. The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that defendants may waive their right to counsel if they can demonstrate they are competent to do so.
Although Routh represented himself for much of the trial, former federal public defenders remained available as standby counsel and attended the proceedings.
READ ALSO: Trump signs $1.2T funding bill, ending partial shutdown as Homeland Security battle looms
Court records also highlighted Routh’s extensive criminal history, which included several felony convictions such as possession of stolen goods. Prosecutors also pointed to his large online presence that frequently expressed hostility toward Trump. In a self published book, Routh even encouraged Iran to assassinate Trump and wrote that as a past Trump voter, he shared responsibility for helping elect him.
