Ryan Routh Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2024 Trump Assassination Plot

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Fort pierce: A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that the man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump in 2024 spend the remainder of his life behind bars, concluding one of the most closely watched criminal cases stemming from violent threats against national political figures.

Ryan Routh, 59, was handed a life sentence plus an additional seven years in prison by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon for the plot to kill Trump as he played golf at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, during the final months of the 2024 presidential campaign. Routh stood silent as the sentence was pronounced in a Fort Pierce federal courtroom.

Routh’s conviction last September followed a high-profile trial in which he rejected the help of attorneys for much of the proceedings and chose to represent himself. In doing so, he faced a jury that found him guilty on five federal counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms violations.

The case arose from a September 15, 2024 incident in which Routh was discovered concealed near a golf course perimeter with a semi-automatic rifle as Trump prepared for a round. A Secret Service agent assigned to protect the then-candidate saw the weapon and fired, prompting Routh to flee the scene and later surrender to authorities.

Prosecutors pressed for the harshest possible penalty, arguing that Routh had spent weeks carefully planning the attack and had shown no remorse for placing the life of a presidential candidate and others at risk. “Routh’s actions over the course of months demonstrate a willingness to kill anyone who stood in the way,” federal attorneys wrote in court filings prior to sentencing.

In delivering the sentence, the judge echoed the government’s view that the plot represented a grave threat to public safety and democratic processes. During the hearing, she described Routh’s conduct as deliberate and calculated and emphasized that attacks on political leaders undermine the rule of law.

Routh’s defence had urged a lighter sentence, noting his age and arguing for mental health treatment rather than life imprisonment. Those arguments were rejected by the court, which weighed both the seriousness of the crime and Routh’s prior criminal history.

The sentencing marks the strongest judicial rebuke yet in connection with violent threats against Trump during his political career. As Routh was led away from the courtroom, prosecutors said the sentence should serve as a deterrent to anyone contemplating similar attacks on the nation’s leadership.