A federal jury was seated Wednesday in the trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, the North Carolina man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump while the then-presidential candidate was golfing in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024.
After three days of voir dire that began Monday, prosecutors and the defense selected 12 jurors and four alternates. The seated panel includes six white women, four white men, one Black woman and one Black man. The alternates are two white women and two white men. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has scheduled opening statements for Thursday morning in Fort Pierce, Florida, and prosecutors indicated they intend to begin their case immediately.
Three groups of roughly 60 potential jurors were brought in over the selection process. Lawyers for both sides questioned prospective jurors on a range of topics to determine their ability to be fair and impartial. More than 70 potential jurors were excused during the process, according to court proceedings.
Routh, who is representing himself, at one point objected when prosecutors dismissed two prospective jurors he identified as Black, saying, "I want to raise that we have a racist situation." Prosecutors responded that one potential juror was Haitian and would face language barriers and said they had no knowledge the other was Black. Judge Cannon allowed the dismissals to stand.
The judge also excused at least two other potential jurors for statements indicating bias. One woman was removed after saying, "I am MAGA," which Cannon described as a "self-declared bias." Another was excused after asserting on a questionnaire that she "only follows God’s law."
Cannon criticized some of Routh's own questions to the venire as "politically charged" and unnecessary for determining juror impartiality. During Monday's session, Routh asked potential jurors about their views on the war in Gaza, whether the U.S. should acquire Greenland, and an unrelated hypothetical about encountering a turtle in the road.
Prosecutors say Routh stalked a spot at Trump's West Palm Beach golf club for weeks and, on Sept. 15, was discovered by a Secret Service agent pointing what was later identified as an AK-style rifle at Trump. Authorities say Routh then aimed at the agent and ultimately abandoned the weapon after Secret Service officers fired. The incident is being investigated as a second assassination attempt on Trump.
Routh faces multiple federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Those counts carry potential life sentences if he is convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and also faces state terrorism and attempted murder charges.
Law enforcement records show Routh was initially arrested on Sept. 15, 2024, in Palm Beach County. He was later apprehended by the Martin County Sheriff's Office on Interstate 95 in a black Nissan Xterra, according to court filings. Routh has prior felony convictions in North Carolina in 2002 and 2010.
The court allotted four weeks for the trial but officials said it could conclude sooner. The proceedings have drawn intense public and media attention because of the high-profile nature of the alleged target and the politically charged environment surrounding the 2024 campaign.
Throughout jury selection, attorneys and the judge emphasized the need for jurors who could set aside public opinion and political views to decide the case on the evidence presented in court. Opening statements and the presentation of evidence are expected to begin on Thursday in Fort Pierce, where federal prosecutors will outline their case to the newly seated jury.