Jury selection narrowed on the second day of the federal trial of Ryan Wesley Routh in Fort Pierce, Florida, as U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed prospective jurors who indicated strong political or religious beliefs and allowed others to remain despite past personal contact with a key figure in the case.
On Tuesday, Cannon removed a woman who wrote "I am MAGA" on a juror questionnaire, saying the statement displayed "self-declared bias." Another prospective juror was excused after stating on a questionnaire that she "only follows God’s law." Cannon declined, however, to excuse a man who said he had breakfast with former President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump about 25 years ago, telling attorneys the decades-old interaction did not show he could not be fair and impartial.
Three groups of 60 potential jurors are undergoing questioning as prosecutors and Routh, who is representing himself, assess whether individuals can serve fairly. The voir dire process began Monday and was expected to continue through Wednesday, with attorneys and the judge selecting 12 jurors and four alternates for the trial.
Routh faces multiple federal charges stemming from an incident on Sept. 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where authorities say he hid in shrubbery with a rifle and pointed the weapon at the then-presidential candidate and a Secret Service agent. Prosecutors say a Secret Service agent detected Routh pointing the rifle at the candidate and the agent, and that when agents opened fire Routh abandoned the weapon and fled. He was later arrested by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office on Interstate 95 in a black Nissan Xterra.
Federal charges announced by the Justice Department include attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Routh also faces state charges related to terrorism and attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has prior felony convictions from 2002 and 2010 in North Carolina.
Courtroom exchanges on Monday drew attention for the nature of questions Routh posed to potential jurors. According to transcripts and court reporting, Routh asked about jurors' views on the war in Gaza, whether the United States should acquire Greenland, and how they might react to encountering a turtle in the road while driving. Cannon called many of those questions "politically charged" and said they were not relevant to determining juror impartiality.
Cannon, a Trump appointee, has presided over pretrial matters and is overseeing the selection process. She told the court that some answers on juror questionnaires reflected fixed viewpoints that would prevent fair service, while other disclosures — such as the man who had breakfast with Trump decades ago — did not, in her view, demonstrate current bias.
Attorneys for the government have told the court that Routh planned the attack for weeks and intended to kill the candidate. They have described evidence they say shows Routh aimed the rifle at the Secret Service agent and at the candidate and that agents fired on him before he fled on foot and later by vehicle. Defense filings and Routh's public statements indicate he disputes the government's characterization of his intent; he has entered a plea of not guilty.
The jury selection will decide the panel that will hear testimony and evidence at trial. If empaneled, jurors will be asked to evaluate complex factual questions about intent, conduct during the episode at the golf club, and the actions of law enforcement officers during the confronted shooting. The court’s handling of juror challenges and rulings on what constitutes disqualifying bias are likely to shape the makeup of the final jury.
Proceedings during the early days of selection have combined routine screening with heightened attention because of the high-profile nature of the charges and the defendant's decision to represent himself. The court will continue questioning prospective jurors to fill the panel and alternates before moving to opening statements and witness testimony, according to the current schedule.