Ryan Wesley Routh pleads not guilty in Trump assassination attempt case
SUMMARY
Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, appeared in a federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida, on Monday, where he entered a plea of not guilty to the charges against him. Routh, 58, is accused of lying in wait for 12 hours near the sixth hole of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on September 15th, 2024, armed with an SKS semi-automatic rifle equipped with a scope and extended magazine. Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by prosecutors—including the firearm, a GoPro camera, and a letter allegedly written by Routh admitting his intent to kill Trump—he pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. If convicted on the top charge, Routh could face life in prison.
