Jury Selection to Begin in Trial of Man Accused of Trying to Assassinate President Trump
Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the criminal trial of Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump last year in South Florida. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations. In a unique twist, Routh will be representing himself in the trial after a federal judge signed off on his request earlier this year.
Routh is also facing state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. The trial is expected to commence with opening statements on September 11. According to prosecutors, Routh meticulously planned to kill President Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as the President played golf on September 15 at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before the President came into view, and officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Alleged Plot to Acquire Anti-Aircraft Weapon
Prosecutors have also alleged that Routh attempted to acquire an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot down President Trump’s plane. In August 2024, Routh sought to purchase the devices online from an associate he believed to be a Ukrainian with access to military weapons. Routh allegedly told his associate to “send me an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do.” He also stated, “I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected.”
The government claims that Routh sought to purchase a .50 caliber rifle, which would have been an even more destructive and powerful version of the one he had already allegedly obtained. Prosecutors said Routh hoped to purchase the .50 caliber rifle at a gun show, but his contact was ultimately unable to locate the type of gun Routh wanted until after the assassination attempt at the golf course.
Previous Run-Ins with the Law
Routh was armed with an AK-47-style rifle and was allegedly 300-500 yards away from President Trump when the Secret Service agent spotted his rifle in the tree line, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Two people, Tina Brown Cooper and Ronnie Jay Oxendine, have been charged with selling the gun to Routh, although both defendants claimed they did not have any advance knowledge of Routh’s alleged plans.
Cooper pleaded guilty to firearm trafficking, and Oxendine pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm after police found a short-barreled shotgun in his storage building. According to court papers, the two sold Routh a Chinese-made SKS rifle in August, with Cooper allegedly acting as a middleman in the sale between Routh and Oxendine.
Routh’s Background and Family Reaction
Routh’s son, Oren Routh, told CBS News that his father wasn’t violent and was “definitely surprised” by the latest allegations. Oren Routh described his father as a “good person” and a “hard worker” who was “never abusive” and always tried to help his community. Routh voted Democratic in the 2024 primary election in North Carolina and appears to be registered as an unaffiliated voter.
Since being granted the ability to defend himself in court, Routh’s filings have been filled with rants about President Trump and international affairs. In a motion to attempt to dismiss evidence, Routh said he would trade the evidence being submitted into the record in exchange for a subpoena of President Trump, calling him a “dumbass” and even suggesting “a round of golf with the racist pig,” and if Trump wins, Trump “can execute me.”
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