FORT PIERCE — The trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last year, has entered its final stage. Both prosecutors and the defense have rested their cases, leaving only closing arguments before jurors begin deliberating.
Prosecutors spent more than a week presenting evidence that they said showed Routh, 59, carefully planned to ambush the then-Republican presidential nominee at Trump International Golf Club on Sept. 15, 2024. Jurors heard from Secret Service agents, firearms specialists and digital analysts who described Routh’s movements, cell phone data and writings in the weeks before the incident.
According to investigators, Routh’s internet history included scores of searches about Trump’s schedule and Secret Service responses to previous assassination attempts. In a WhatsApp chat, Routh discussed “sniper concealment in President Kennedy assassination” and, a week before the incident, requested an estimate for the price of tracking Trump’s airplane.
Prosecutors say Routh staked out Trump International for 12 hours on the day of his arrest, aiming a GoPro camera and an SKS rifle at the sixth hole while Trump teed off at the fifth. A photograph of the site showed Routh’s abandoned rifle, equipped with a scope and propped between a bag and a backpack hung on the fence. Both bags contained bulletproof plates.
Routh, representing himself, said he had a right to protest peacefully at the golf course.
“This is as far peaceful assembly as you can imagine,” responded Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley. “Peaceful protest is one thing. An assassination attempt is another.”
Routh’s defense lasted less than a day and focused more on his character than on his conduct. He called three witnesses: a firearms expert and two longtime acquaintances from North Carolina, who told jurors he was kind, generous and nonviolent. Prosecutors challenged the witnesses’ credibility and pointed to evidence they said showed otherwise, including a letter in which Routh offered money to anyone who would “finish the job.”
The trial began Sept. 11 with opening statements before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. Routh has pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and firearms violations.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Closing arguments next in trial of Ryan Routh, accused Trump gunman