A federal judge on Monday barred the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump from asking potential jurors about their views on Gaza and Trump’s reported efforts to acquire Greenland, ruling the questions were politically charged and irrelevant to jury selection.
Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, who is charged in a foiled attack on Trump at a West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024, began the trial process in the Southern District of Florida while representing himself. Prosecutors say Routh was arrested after a Secret Service agent spotted a man hiding with a rifle in the bushes on the course, about one hole away from the president.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh’s decision to represent himself at an earlier court appearance but limited many of his proposed voir dire questions on Monday. "They are all really off base and have no relevance to the jury selection process," she told Routh as she declined to permit the politically charged queries, according to court reporting.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to counts that include attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number. Court filings allege he began planning the attempt after a separate, high-profile failed attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, and that he accumulated military-grade weapons, more than a dozen burner phones and researched Trump’s movements and campaign events.
At the start of proceedings Routh pressed the court with other unconventional questions for jurors, including asking what they would do if they were driving and saw a turtle in the road, saying he believed such answers would reveal character. Judge Cannon struck many of those lines of questioning as unrelated to the legal issues the jury must resolve.
In filings submitted to the court, Routh included taunting references to Trump and proposed physical confrontations, including: "A roung [sic] of golf with the racist pig, he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job," and "I think a beatdown session would be more fun and entertaining f or [sic] everyone; give me shackles and cuffs and let the old fat man give it his worst." The filings are part of the prosecution’s broader presentation of evidence that it says shows Routh’s intent and planning.
Routh, a construction worker who lives in Hawaii and is originally from North Carolina, told the court that two of his announced witnesses will not be able to testify, with one reportedly fearing deportation to Costa Rica. Jury selection is expected to last about three days and the trial is scheduled to run about a month in Fort Pierce.
Prosecutors also say they will introduce notes that Routh allegedly left with a friend in the months leading up to the attempt that detail his plans. The government has characterized Routh’s actions as premeditated and part of an effort to exploit public events and campaign appearances to carry out an attack.
The case comes amid heightened attention to political violence and security surrounding major political figures. Routh remains in custody as the court proceeds with jury selection and the scheduled monthlong trial.