Man Found Guilty Of Attempting To Assassinate Trump At Florida Golf Course

A jury has determined Ryan Routh, 59, guilty of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump during a September 2024 incident at a Florida golf course, according to Fox News.

The verdict confirms Routh intended to kill Trump, then a former president and Republican presidential candidate, when he positioned a rifle through a fence at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Routh now faces potential life imprisonment for his actions.

Authorities reported that Routh escaped without firing his weapon after a Secret Service agent on patrol spotted him and discharged his firearm. During the trial, prosecutor John Shipley emphasized the seriousness of the plot, stating that "Donald Trump would not be alive" without the agent's intervention.

The trial in Fort Pierce federal court occurred against a backdrop of increasing political violence in America, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and another attempt on Trump that wounded his ear during his successful 2024 presidential campaign.

Political violence has affected both sides of the aisle. In April, an arsonist targeted Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence while his family was inside. In June, a gunman in Minnesota killed state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband while also shooting state Senator John Hoffman and his wife.

Despite pleading not guilty, Routh dismissed his legal representation and chose to defend himself. His self-defense strategy focused on claiming a non-violent nature, but his rambling opening statement was interrupted by the judge, and he offered minimal resistance to the prosecution's evidence.

Routh, a former Hawaii resident who worked as a roofing contractor, had previously involved himself in democracy movements in Taiwan and Ukraine. His daughter Sara revealed to Reuters that he spent 10 months in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, sleeping in a tent in Kyiv while assisting with volunteer recruitment and supplies—part of a pattern of ambitious humanitarian efforts that often encountered practical difficulties.

"They were about to fight a war. They had nothing to fight with," Sara Routh explained about her father's motivation. "He felt like he could make a difference."

According to prosecutors, Routh arrived in South Florida approximately one month before the September 15, 2024 incident. He allegedly stayed at a truck stop, monitored Trump's movements, carried six cell phones, and used aliases to conceal his identity.

On the day of the incident, Routh reportedly waited nearly ten hours, hiding in dense foliage overlooking the sixth hole green. Investigators later discovered an SKS-style rifle, bags containing metal plates similar to body armor components, and a small video camera directed toward the golf course.

Trump was playing on the fifth hole, several hundred yards away, when security personnel discovered Routh. Law enforcement arrested Routh later that afternoon during a traffic stop on a Florida highway.

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