The man convicted of attempting to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump during a golf outing in Florida has been sentenced to life in prison, closing one of the most unsettling security cases in recent American history.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, received the life sentence after being found guilty of trying to kill Trump at one of his golf courses in West Palm Beach in the fall of 2024.
According to court records, the incident unfolded quietly but dangerously. A U.S. Secret Service agent noticed a rifle barrel sticking out from nearby bushes while Trump was playing golf.
Shots were fired by the agent, and Routh fled the scene. He was later arrested close to the course, preventing what prosecutors described as a near-catastrophic outcome.
In a sentencing memorandum, Judge Aileen Cannon made her position clear, stating that Routh’s actions “undeniably warrant a life sentence.”
She added, “[H]e took steps over the course of months to assass!nate a major Presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims.”
This attempted Trump assassination shocked both security experts and the public. Moreover, federal investigators told jurors that a semiautomatic rifle with a scope and extended magazine was recovered from the hiding spot. In addition, a list of places where Trump was expected to appear was found, alongside a note describing the plot as “an assassination attempt.”
Routh pleaded not guilty and chose to represent himself when the trial began on September 8. However, his courtroom behavior raised concerns.
He reportedly acted erratically, challenged Trump to a golf game, and referenced Adolf Hitler and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, after the guilty verdict was read, he attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen before marshals intervened.
Prosecutor John Shipley said a “mountain of evidence” showed “how close he got to actually pulling this off.” Therefore, the life sentence was seen as necessary to reflect the seriousness of the crime.
This case was also notable because it marked the second Trump assassination attempt in 2024. Earlier that year, a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one person and injuring several others, including Trump. The shooter, identified as Thomas Crooks, was killed at the scene.
