A federal trial opened Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida, for Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of firing at a U.S. Secret Service agent while allegedly attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a September 2024 campaign stop.
Prosecutors say the incident occurred on Sept. 15, 2024, when Trump was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach and an agent spotted a man in the bushes along the property perimeter. Authorities allege Routh fired on the agent, then fled on foot to a nearby parked black Nissan Xterra and was later apprehended on Interstate 95. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty and has been held in custody in Florida while awaiting trial.
Federal investigators say they recovered an SKS semi-automatic rifle with a scope and an extended magazine in the area where Routh had been hiding. They also say they found documents that listed upcoming events where Trump had appeared or was expected to appear. Court filings cite a witness who told authorities that Routh had left a box at the witness’s home months earlier containing a note that read in part: "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you."
Routh faces multiple federal charges, including attempted assassination of a 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. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The trial began with jury selection Monday at the federal courthouse where Trump himself faced a separate criminal case over classified documents. Judge Aileen Cannon, who presided over that earlier case and later dismissed it, is overseeing Routh’s trial. Cannon, appointed to the federal bench by Trump during his first term, granted Routh’s request to represent himself despite warning him it was "strongly urge[d]" that he accept legal counsel. She ordered court-appointed lawyers to remain on standby.
In a letter to the court, Routh wrote that it was "ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me," and said he and his attorneys were "a million miles apart" and were not answering his questions. The decision to proceed pro se is unusual in a federal criminal case, and the judge repeatedly cautioned Routh about the disadvantages of self-representation.
Routh is a North Carolina native who had been living in Hawaii, according to court records and media reporting. Authorities say he has a prior criminal history and has publicly expressed support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The alleged attempted assassination in Florida came weeks after a separate incident in Pennsylvania in which a gunman fired at Trump during a campaign appearance and a bullet grazed the former president's ear. Both episodes intensified scrutiny of the U.S. Secret Service and raised questions about the agency’s ability to safeguard high-profile candidates and protect public events.
Federal prosecutors say the evidence in the Routh case includes the firearm recovered near the perimeter of the golf club, witness statements about the shooting and flight, the documents listing Trump appearances, and the note found in the box. Defense filings have not detailed an alternate account; Routh has maintained his not-guilty plea.
Monday’s opening activities were expected to focus on seating jurors and hearing preliminary legal arguments. If convicted on the most serious counts, Routh faces lengthy mandatory sentences under federal law.
The trial will test evidence gathered by the FBI and Secret Service during an investigation that began immediately after the September 2024 shooting. Both the Florida incident and the earlier Pennsylvania shooting have prompted internal and congressional reviews of the Secret Service’s protective practices and coordination with local law enforcement at campaign events.
Prosecutors will present their case to the jury through witness testimony, forensic evidence and documents. The defense, now led by Routh himself with standby counsel available, is expected to cross-examine government witnesses and challenge the sufficiency and interpretation of the evidence. The proceedings are likely to draw public and political attention given the high-profile target of the alleged plot and the courthouse’s recent role in other cases involving the former president.
Court observers and legal experts have said the trial could be sensitive both because of the stakes involved and because of the presence on the bench of a judge tied to a prior politically charged case. Routh’s choice to represent himself adds an additional layer of complexity that the court will monitor closely as the trial progresses.