Ryan Routh, the man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump in the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, was sentenced Wednesday to life in federal prison.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce, Florida. Routh, 59, was found guilty in September on five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a federal jury found Routh guilty on all five charges tied to the assassination plot.
In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a consecutive seven-year prison term tied to one of Routh’s gun convictions, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors Sought Life Without Parole
Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of life without parole, citing Routh’s lack of remorse and his refusal to apologize for the attack. During sentencing, defense counsel asked the court for a significantly reduced term, arguing Routh’s age should be considered. The request was denied.
Routh represented himself for much of the trial but retained legal counsel for the sentencing phase, prompting a delay from the originally scheduled December 2025 hearing.
Secret Service Stopped the Attack
According to prosecutors, Routh spent weeks planning the attack before positioning himself along the perimeter of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club on September 15, 2024.
A member of Trump’s Secret Service protective detail spotted a partially concealed individual with a rifle barrel protruding through shrubbery near the golf course fence line, one hole ahead of where Trump was playing. The agent fired in Routh’s direction, causing him to flee the scene.
Routh was later stopped and arrested by law enforcement in a neighboring county. Officials said he did not fire any shots and never had Trump directly in his line of sight.
Weapons, Writings, and Evidence Recovered
Investigators recovered a loaded SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope, a backpack, a digital camera, and food left behind at the scene. Authorities also found a notebook in Routh’s vehicle containing political writings, criticism of foreign governments, and notes related to traveling abroad to fight in Ukraine.
Court filings referenced a 2023 book authored by Routh in which he criticized Trump’s foreign policy positions. In the book, Routh wrote that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump” for withdrawing from the nuclear deal.
Routh was convicted on all counts following a federal jury trial.
