The high-profile federal trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, began this week in Fort Pierce, Florida, amid heightened anxieties about political violence and an atmosphere charged with controversy and emotion. The proceedings, presided over by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, have already seen their share of drama, with Routh—who is acting as his own attorney—clashing repeatedly with the judge and prosecutors as the case unfolds before a national audience.
The incident at the heart of the trial took place on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. According to prosecutors, Routh, a 59-year-old Hawaii resident and former Trump supporter, meticulously plotted for weeks to kill Trump as he golfed, traveling from Hawaii to North Carolina and then to Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the court during his opening statement that Routh had visited the club at least 17 times in the month leading up to the alleged attempt, obsessively tracking Trump’s movements. Shipley painted a chilling picture: “Last year, the defendant Ryan Routh wanted to make sure that the people of this country could not elect Donald Trump as president of the United States. So the defendant decided to take the choice away from American voters.”
Prosecutors allege that Routh brought a military-grade weapon and even packed diapers so he could wait overnight in the bushes near the sixth-hole green, hidden from view, until Trump was within range. But before Trump appeared, U.S. Secret Service agent Robert Fercano, patrolling the fence line, spotted movement in the shrubbery. Under questioning by Routh himself in court, Fercano described the tense moment: “I do not know your mindset that day, but I know you pointed that weapon at my face.” Fercano testified that he fired in the direction of the rifle, prompting Routh to drop his weapon and flee. He was apprehended shortly after, having never fired a shot.
Routh’s defense has been anything but conventional. Insisting on representing himself, he has repeatedly tested the patience of Judge Cannon, who has been quick to intervene when Routh veered off-topic. During his opening statement, Routh delved into subjects ranging from the origin of the human species to international conflicts, prompting the judge to send the jury out of the courtroom. At one point, Routh declared, “This case means absolutely nothing, and a life has been lived,” a statement that led Cannon to abruptly conclude his remarks. Earlier, she had warned Routh against making a “mockery of the dignity of the courtroom.”
The jury selection process itself was fraught with challenges. Prospective jurors were screened for personal connections to Routh or witnesses, with several dismissed for such ties. Others revealed strong opinions about Trump, with one woman stating, “I am MAGA and I love my president.” Judge Cannon, recognizing the potential for bias, asked jurors whether they could set aside their feelings and decide the case based on the rule of law. By the evening of September 9, 2025, 96 out of 180 potential jurors remained, with a third day of selection scheduled. Ultimately, a jury of seven women and five men was seated to hear the case.
Throughout the courtroom proceedings, Routh’s behavior has drawn attention. In pretrial hearings and motions, he disparaged Trump, calling him a “fragile victim,” an “insecure ego idiot-mad fool,” and a “baboon.” He even challenged the former president to a golfing duel and declared his intent to subpoena him. Judge Cannon, who was appointed to the bench by Trump and previously dismissed charges against the former president in a separate classified documents case, allowed Routh to proceed without his court-appointed attorneys, though she insisted they remain as standby counsel to assist with logistical matters.
Routh’s daughter, Sara Routh, expressed support for her father’s decision to represent himself, telling NBC News, “He’s not, you know, a lawyer, but I think he’s been doing a great job.” But the judge and prosecutors have not been as charitable. Cannon repeatedly admonished Routh for introducing irrelevant topics, dismissing his proposed jury questions—such as those about Gaza, the U.S. acquiring Greenland, and hypothetical scenarios involving turtles—as unrelated to the case.
The trial has unfolded against a backdrop of escalating political violence in the United States. Just one day before proceedings began, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University, an incident that has only heightened concerns about safety and civility in the nation’s political discourse. The case against Routh also follows another assassination attempt on Trump just nine weeks earlier in Pennsylvania, where the former president was grazed by a bullet during a campaign rally. That shooter was killed at the scene by Secret Service agents.
According to The Associated Press, Routh has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations. If convicted on the most serious charge, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Prosecutors allege that Routh’s actions were driven by a desire to prevent Trump from returning to the White House, with Shipley asserting that Routh “planned for weeks to kill Trump, traveling from his home in Hawaii to his native North Carolina and eventually to West Palm Beach in a family car with six cellphones and stolen license plates.”
Secret Service agent Robert Fercano, whom prosecutors have called “the hero of this story,” testified that he must “mentally... live with the fact that you pointed a gun at my face.” Fercano’s intervention, authorities say, prevented what could have been a catastrophe on the golf course. The government’s case is built on a combination of surveillance, physical evidence, and witness testimony, all pointing to what they describe as Routh’s calculated intent.
The trial is taking place in the same courthouse—and before the same judge—where Trump himself once faced criminal charges for mishandling classified documents, a case that Judge Cannon dismissed before it reached trial. The irony has not been lost on observers, as Trump’s influence over the Justice Department and the judiciary continues to be a subject of national debate.
As the trial proceeds, it is clear that the stakes extend far beyond the fate of Ryan Routh. The case has become a flashpoint in the broader conversation about political violence, the security of public figures, and the integrity of the American justice system. With emotions running high and the world watching, the courtroom in Fort Pierce has become a stage for questions about law, democracy, and the rule of order in a deeply divided nation.
Whatever the outcome, the trial of Ryan Routh is certain to leave a lasting imprint on the national consciousness, serving as a stark reminder of the volatility and vulnerability that define the current American political landscape.
