The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during a golf outing in South Florida last year is preparing to represent himself as his case moves toward trial.
Ryan Routh, 59, is scheduled to appear Tuesday for a pretrial conference in Fort Pierce federal court, where final arrangements will be made ahead of jury selection on Sept. 8. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh’s decision to serve as his own attorney in July, though she ordered standby counsel to remain available.
Prosecutors allege that in September 2024, Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before sneaking onto the grounds of Trump’s West Palm Beach country club. According to investigators, he aimed a rifle through thick shrubbery as Trump played golf, but a Secret Service agent spotted him before the president came into sight. Officials say Routh pointed his weapon at the agent, who fired first, forcing him to drop the gun and flee without firing a shot.
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Authorities relied on a witness who reported seeing a man fleeing the scene. That witness was transported in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate, where he identified Routh after officers made the arrest.
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Originally from North Carolina, Routh worked in construction but reinvented himself as a self-styled mercenary leader. Witnesses told The Associated Press that he often boasted of schemes to intervene in global conflicts. During the early days of the war in Ukraine, he even sought to recruit fighters from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to battle Russian forces.
Routh’s past brushes with law enforcement paint a troubling picture. In 2002, he was arrested in Greensboro after eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself inside with a machine gun and what was described as a “weapon of mass destruction,” later revealed to be an explosive device with a long fuse. Eight years later, police raided a warehouse he owned and uncovered more than 100 stolen goods, including power tools, kayaks, spa tubs, and construction supplies. In both felony cases, judges sentenced him only to probation or suspended terms.
He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempted assassination, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearm violations. In addition, he faces state counts of terrorism and attempted murder, to which he has also entered not guilty pleas.
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