The man accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course began trial proceedings Monday, September 8, — and has chosen to represent himself.
Ryan W. Routh, 59, faces five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. Prosecutors allege that in September 2024 he concealed himself with a rifle near the sixth green at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, intending to shoot Trump during a round of golf in the final weeks of the campaign.
A U.S. Secret Service agent reportedly spotted Routh in the tree line before Trump reached the hole and opened fire. Routh fled without firing a shot. He has pleaded not guilty.
Jury selection opened Monday in Fort Pierce, Florida. The case is expected to provide a detailed account of what authorities say was the second attempt on Trump’s life in two months. In the first incident, a gunman wounded Trump in the ear before being killed at the scene.
Routh, a former roofing contractor with a history of political activism for vulnerable democracies, dismissed his public defenders in July. He told the court he preferred to argue on his own behalf, writing in a letter to Judge Aileen Cannon: “It was ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me. Best I walk alone.”
Since then, he has filed a series of unconventional motions — including a proposal for a “beatdown session” with Trump, an offer to trade himself for a prisoner in China or Iran, and a request to call an expert witness to testify about his own “narcissism.” Judge Cannon has rejected those efforts.
Cannon, a Trump appointee, previously oversaw the case involving Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. She ruled last year to dismiss that case, a decision that drew significant scrutiny from legal scholars.
While criminal defendants are entitled to represent themselves, experts say the move heightens the risks. “If his sole goal is to be acquitted, then his chances probably go down,” said Georgetown law professor Erica Hashimoto. “If he has something else that he’s trying to do by going to trial, then representing himself may be the only way to do that.”
Prosecutors intend to present a letter Routh allegedly wrote months before the incident, addressed “Dear World.” In it, he reportedly admitted: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I’m so sorry I failed you.”
They allege Routh built a makeshift sniper’s nest overlooking the sixth hole, armed with an SKS-style rifle loaded with 20 rounds and protected by ballistic plates. At the time he was discovered, Trump was a few hundred yards away at the fifth hole and would have been at the sixth green within about 15 minutes.
Routh, who has no formal legal training, will handle opening and closing arguments, cross-examine witnesses, and present evidence. His former defense attorneys remain on standby to step in if required.