Man receives life sentence for Trump assassination plot

• Life Sentence Imposed: On Wednesday, Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh to life in prison (plus a consecutive 84 months) for the September 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump at his Florida golf course.
• Conviction and Conduct: Convicted on all five federal counts, Routh—who had offered a $150,000 bounty for Trump's death in a handwritten letter—was described by the judge as "not a peaceful man" due to his meticulous planning and lack of remorse.

Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, for his attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024.

US District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence in Fort Pierce, Florida, following Routh's conviction on all five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and related firearms offenses.

The ruling also included an additional 84 months for a firearm-related count, to run consecutively.

The incident occurred on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where Trump was playing golf.

Prosecutors stated that Routh, armed with an SKS-style semi-automatic rifle, had positioned himself in shrubbery along the fence line near the sixth hole, lying in wait for approximately 12 hours.

A US Secret Service agent spotted the rifle barrel protruding through the foliage and fired shots, prompting Routh to flee without discharging his weapon.

Routh was apprehended shortly afterward during a traffic stop on Interstate 95, about 40 miles from the golf course.

Authorities discovered the rifle, two backpacks, a scope, and a GoPro camera at the scene, along with a handwritten letter from Routh addressed to "The World," in which he offered a $150,000 bounty for Trump's assassination and criticized his foreign policy.

This was the second assassination attempt on Trump during the 2024 campaign, following an earlier incident in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Routh faced federal indictment on five counts: attempted assassination, assault on a federal officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

He pleaded not guilty but represented himself for much of the trial, which concluded with a guilty verdict on all charges by a federal jury in September 2025.

Prosecutors emphasized Routh's meticulous planning, including surveillance of Trump's properties and recruitment efforts for foreign conflicts.

During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors advocated for a life sentence, describing the act as a grave threat to democracy and noting Routh's lack of remorse.

Defense attorneys requested a 27-year term, citing Routh's mental health issues and personal hardships, but Judge Cannon rejected this, stating that Routh was "not a peaceful man" and that his actions warranted the maximum penalty.
Routh, who had a prior felony conviction for possessing a weapon of mass destruction in 2002, showed no visible reaction to the sentence.

Routh, originally from North Carolina and later residing in Hawaii, had a varied background as a roofing contractor and an avid supporter of Ukraine's war efforts against Russia.

He had initially voted for Trump in 2016 but grew disillusioned, viewing him as a threat to global stability. Evidence presented at trial included his social media posts and attempts to recruit fighters for Ukraine, which prosecutors linked to his escalating radicalization.