A man who conspired to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course in September 2024, just two months before the US election, has received a life sentence.
Ryan Routh, 59, was convicted in September for attempting to kill then-candidate Trump, marking the second attempt on the billionaire’s life during the buildup to the election that returned him to the White House.
As reported by an AFP journalist in the courtroom, Judge Aileen Cannon imposed a sentence of life plus seven years following a 90-minute hearing, stating it was “to protect the public from future crime” committed by Routh.
“The evil is in you. Not in everybody else,” she remarked.
Routh was apprehended on September 15, 2024, after a Secret Service agent observed the barrel of a rifle sticking out from the bushes at the West Palm Beach golf course, where Trump was playing ahead of the November election.
The agent opened fire, and Routh, who attempted to escape in a vehicle, was captured shortly thereafter.
The sentencing marked the conclusion of a trial that saw Routh represent himself, despite lacking any legal training.
Among his strange attempts to prepare for the trial, Routh reportedly requested strippers and a golf putting green while in custody, and asked that jurors be chosen based on their views regarding Gaza and Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland. These requests were denied.
Routh’s planned attack on Trump occurred just two months following another assassination attempt on the Republican leader, on July 13 in Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Matthew Crooks fired several shots during a rally, with one grazing Trump’s right ear.
This incident, which resulted in the death of a rally attendee, turned out to be a pivotal moment in Trump’s return to power. Crooks was instantly shot by security forces, and his motive remains unclear.
