Trump assassination attempt suspect challenges case, says gun was never fired
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Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year, argued in court Friday that prosecutors had not proven their case.
Routh told the court that they might have proved someone was outside the golf course fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired. He also claimed that the area outside Trump International Golf Club was a public right of way, which allowed him to be there with a weapon.
Routh, representing himself, asked US District Judge Aileen Cannon to dismiss four of the five charges against him, excluding the one for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Cannon rejected the motion, saying jurors could reasonably conclude that prosecutors had met their burden of proof.
The defense case will begin Monday.
Routh said he intends to call a firearms expert and two character witnesses, but did not confirm if he would testify. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, with each side given one hour and 45 minutes.
Prosecutors wrapped their case Friday after presenting seven days of testimony from 38 witnesses. They argued that Routh planned for weeks to kill Trump, aiming a loaded rifle through shrubbery with the safety off as Trump played golf on September 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach club.
“This is as far from peaceful assembly as you can get,” Assistant US Attorney John Shipley told the court, pointing out that Routh took substantial steps toward carrying out the attack.
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kimberly McGreevy testified that Routh’s cellphone data, text messages, bank records, internet searches, security footage, and receipts tracked his movements and preparations. She said Routh, a convicted felon, attempted to obtain a firearm six months before his arrest.
McGreevy added that Routh traveled to South Florida a month before the incident and lived out of a black Nissan Xterra at a truck stop in western Palm Beach County. During that time, he carried out surveillance near Palm Beach International Airport, Trump International Golf Course, and Mar-a-Lago.
A Secret Service agent testified that before Trump came into view, he saw Routh aim a rifle at him. The agent fired, forcing Routh to drop his weapon and flee. Routh was later arrested with the help of a witness who identified him from a police helicopter.