FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years for a gun count after a federal judge found the Florida golf-course assassination attempt against President Donald Trump to be a deliberate plot.
Prosecutors said Routh hid in bushes at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024, and a Secret Service agent spotted him before Trump came into view, prompting the agent to open fire and Routh to flee without shooting.
Courtroom remarks
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon called the plot “deliberate and evil” and imposed life without parole, ABC News reported.
Routh spoke at length before the judge cut him off, and his lawyer argued he never pulled the trigger while prosecutors sought a life term, Fox News reported.
Charges and trial
A jury last year convicted Routh on five counts including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and firearms offenses, according to ABC News.
He represented himself during the trial and later requested a shorter sentence, a detail noted by Reuters.
Broader context
The incident came two months after the July 2024 rally shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, that also targeted Trump, Reuters reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the sentence ensures Routh will never walk free, AP reported.
Routh’s attorney said he plans to appeal, NBC News reported.
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