On Monday, September 8, 2025, the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida, became the stage for one of the most closely watched criminal trials in recent American history. Ryan Wesley Routh, a 59-year-old former construction worker, stands accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign. The case has gripped the nation not just for its gravity, but for the unusual courtroom drama unfolding as Routh insists on representing himself, despite warnings from the bench and skepticism from legal experts.
Jury selection kicked off with a flurry of unconventional moments. According to BBC News, Routh submitted a screening question for prospective jurors: "There's a question about, a turtle in the road, would one stop or move it?" Judge Aileen Cannon, who presides over the proceedings and previously handled Trump’s classified documents case, called the query whimsical and irrelevant. Federal prosecutor John Shipley Jr. objected to the "silliness" of the question, arguing it undermined the seriousness of the trial. Routh, undeterred, explained that he himself had marked the question as not very good, but left it in nonetheless. This was only the beginning of a voir dire process that saw Routh also ask about jurors’ views on the war in Gaza and the U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland—topics Judge Cannon dismissed as "off base" and irrelevant to jury selection, as reported by Fox News.
Despite his lack of legal training, Routh’s insistence on self-representation was approved by Judge Cannon in July, though she strongly advised against it, warning, "I strongly urge you not to make this decision." Routh cited a breakdown in communication with his court-appointed attorneys, claiming they were "a million miles apart." Nevertheless, his former lawyers remain on standby as "standby counsel" throughout the trial, ready to step in if needed.
The charges against Routh are severe and numerous: attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms violations. The prosecution alleges that on September 15, 2024, Routh staked out the perimeter of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, waiting for hours in shrubbery with a loaded SKS semiautomatic rifle equipped with a scope and extended magazine. According to ABC News and Fox News, a Secret Service agent spotted Routh pointing the rifle through a fence. The agent fired in Routh’s direction, prompting him to flee. He was apprehended after a brief car chase, and investigators recovered the rifle—its serial number intentionally obliterated—near the tree line where he had been hiding.
Further evidence includes a note Routh left behind for a friend, stating, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump." Prosecutors also found a list of places where Trump was expected to appear, suggesting premeditation. Routh, however, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining his innocence in both federal and state courts, where he also faces charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Adding to the trial’s intrigue are Routh’s bizarre and sometimes combative legal maneuvers. In a filing earlier this month, he proposed a "beatdown session" or a round of golf with Trump, writing, "he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job." He also sought to call a range of witnesses, including Palestinian activists detained by the Trump administration and Trump himself, whom Routh described in court documents as a "mad fool" and an "insecure ego idiot." Judge Cannon, however, denied most of these witness requests, warning in an order that "as much as Defendant may want this official proceeding to devolve into a 'beatdown session' with one of the alleged victims in this case, he could not use witness testimony as a means of 'calculated chaos.'"
During jury selection, Routh’s approach was equally unconventional. He apologized to potential jurors for the inconvenience, expressed deference to those with personal hardships, and even advocated for the dismissal of a man who taught children with autism, calling it "a very honorable profession." When prosecutors sought to strike a juror for comments about Trump and support for restoring felons’ voting rights, Routh objected, saying, "I'd obviously like to keep this juror." Judge Cannon ultimately struck 20 jurors on the first day, with more to be considered as the process continued.
Routh’s background has come under scrutiny as well. He has prior felony convictions from 2002 and 2010 in North Carolina. His political views appear to have shifted dramatically over time; while his social media posts in 2016 indicated support for Trump, by 2020 he had turned against the former president. In 2023, Routh self-published a book titled Ukraine’s Unwinnable War, in which he called Trump a "fool" and a "buffoon," lamenting his earlier support as a "terrible mistake." According to Axios, Routh also penned a letter addressed "Dear World" after his arrest, writing, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you."
The trial has not only put Routh’s eccentricities on display but has also reignited national debate over political violence and the adequacy of security for public officials. The alleged assassination attempt came just two months after a separate shooting at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, where Trump was wounded and a supporter was killed. These incidents have prompted a bipartisan push in Congress to bolster security for political candidates, with inquiries into the U.S. Secret Service’s protocols ongoing.
Legal experts, like trial lawyer Neama Rahmani, have expressed skepticism about Routh’s decision to go it alone. “Those who do at their own peril have a very high conviction rate, and I don’t expect this case to be any different. It’s never a good idea to proceed pro se, especially in a high-profile case against experienced federal prosecutors,” Rahmani told BBC News.
As the trial proceeds, opening statements are expected as early as Wednesday, September 10, with the proceedings scheduled to last two to four weeks. The charges carry a potential life sentence if Routh is convicted. Trump himself is not expected to testify, but his presence looms large: his portrait now hangs at the entrance to the courthouse, a reminder of the high stakes and the political tensions that frame this extraordinary legal battle.
With every day in court, the nation watches not only for a verdict but for insight into the volatile intersection of politics, security, and justice in modern America.
