Trial begins for suspect in alleged Trump assassination attempt

A man accused of plotting to kill US President Donald Trump is set to go on trial in Florida this week, nearly a year after the alleged attempt took place.

The defendant, 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, has pleaded not guilty and will represent himself in court, an unusual move that could shape the proceedings in unexpected ways. Jury selection begins Monday, September 8, at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce.

- The allegations -

Federal prosecutors say the incident unfolded on Sept. 15, 2024, while Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach club. A Secret Service agent reportedly spotted a man hiding in the bushes along the property’s edge.

According to investigators, the man, later identified as Routh, opened fire on the agent before fleeing across the street to a black Nissan Xterra. He was arrested soon after on Interstate 95.

Law enforcement recovered an SKS semiautomatic rifle with a scope and an extended magazine at the scene, along with documents listing Trump’s past and future campaign stops.

One witness also told authorities that Routh had left behind a box at his home months earlier containing a note that read in part, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”

Trump was not harmed and did not come into direct contact with Routh.

- The charges -

Routh faces several felony counts, including attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm during a violent crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and owning a firearm with its serial number removed.

He has been held in custody in Florida while awaiting trial.

- The courtroom backdrop -

The case will be heard by Judge Aileen Cannon, who previously presided over Trump’s classified documents case, which was dismissed after his re-election. Cannon, appointed to the federal bench by Trump, has cautioned Routh against defending himself but allowed him to proceed.

“I strongly urge you not to make this decision,” she told him, while ordering standby legal counsel to remain available.

Routh, however, insists he is better off without representation. In a letter to the court, he wrote that it was “ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me.” He added that he and his previous attorneys were “a million miles apart.”

- Broader context -

The alleged attempt on Trump’s life came just weeks after another high-profile incident in Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed Trump’s ear during a campaign rally. Both events sparked renewed criticism of the Secret Service’s ability to safeguard high-profile political figures amid heightened political violence in the US.