| Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida | |
|---|---|
| Part ofsecurity incidents involving Donald Trump | |
 Backpack and SKS-pattern rifle in concealed location | |
 Location of the incident | |
| Location | Trump International Golf Club inWest Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 26°40′00″N80°5′21″W / 26.66667°N 80.08917°W /26.66667; -80.08917 |
| Date | September 15, 2024; 13 months ago (2024-09-15) 1:31 p.m. (UTC−04:00) |
| Target | Donald Trump[1] |
Attack type | Assassination attempt[2] |
| Weapon | SKS-style rifle |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 1 (indirectly) |
| Perpetrator | Ryan Wesley Routh |
| Motive | Under investigation |
| Charges | 8 counts
|
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| ||
|---|---|---|
Business and personal
45th and 47th President of the United States Tenure
Impeachments   | ||
On September 15, 2024,Donald Trump, then a formerpresident of the United States andnominee of theRepublican Party in the2024 presidential election, was the target of anassassination attempt while golfing atTrump International Golf Club inWest Palm Beach, Florida. The perpetrator, 58-year-oldRyan Wesley Routh, was spotted hiding in nearby shrubbery while aiming a rifle at a member of Trump'ssecurity detail.[4] ASecret Service agent fired upon Routh, who fled the scene and was later captured inMartin County.[5] No injuries were reported.
The incident occurred two months after Trump surviveda previous assassination attempt while speaking at a campaign rally nearButler, Pennsylvania.[6][7][8] Routh was indicted on five federal charges on September 24, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. Routh was later additionally indicted on three other charges including attemptedfelony murder, a state charge.[3] Routh pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Routh's trial began on September 8, 2025.[9] Routh filed a motion torepresent himself at trial, which was granted. Two weeks later on September 23, Routh was found guilty on all federal counts,[10] where he then grabbed a pen and attempted to stab himself in the neck, before being tackled by U.S. marshals.[11] Routh faces life in prison, and his sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2025.[10]
TheTrump International Golf Club had been noted as a potential target for attempts on Trump's life.[12] Officials told Trump that if photographers could get a clear view of him, potential gunmen could do the same. The incident occurred 64 days aftera previous assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally nearButler, Pennsylvania, in which he was shot and wounded in his upper right ear by a 20-year-old sniper,Thomas Matthew Crooks.[13] Law enforcement officials said that the golf course's perimeter was not fully secured as Trump was not an incumbent president.[14] The Secret Service did not search the perimeter of the golf course, as Trump's visit there was not a scheduled event.[15]
On September 12, Trump posted onX (formerly Twitter) about a planned event at his golf club on September 16 to introduce thecrypto platformWorld Liberty Financial.[16]
On September 15, 2024,Trump was golfing atTrump International Golf Club inWest Palm Beach with his friend and donorSteve Witkoff.[17] Trump was walking along the fifth hole when Robert Fercano, aSecret Service agent, conducted a sweep of the sixth hole ahead of him for any threats. During the sweep, Routh was seen aiming a rifle at Fercano while hiding in shrubs approximately 400 yards (370 m) away.[18] The position in which Routh had been is well-known as a spot frequently used bypaparazzi to photograph Trump at his golf course.[19] At 1:31 p.m.EDT[20] (approximately 12 hours after Routh's 1:59 a.m. arrival),[21][22] Fercano, having seen the rifle barrel move,[4] fired at Routh, who dropped his weapon and fled in a vehicle.[23] After the shot was fired, Trump was escorted off the course by his Secret Serviceprotective detail.[22] Routh did not have a clear line of sight on Trump and did not fire his gun.[18][24] Tommy C. McGee, a witness who was driving to a nearby furniture store at the time of the incident, saw him running out of the woods and into a black car. He quickly took three photos and a video of Routh's vehicle, assisting authorities in tracking it down.[25] The golf course was locked down shortly after the incident,[7] and no injuries were reported.[26][27]
After Routh fled the scene, a "be on the lookout" was issued to law enforcement with details about the suspect's car, a blackNissan Xterra SUV. At 2:22 p.m, after pulling over the vehicle onInterstate 95 inMartin County, Martin County Sheriff's Office deputies Nicholas Shaw and Gedeon Brenovil forced Routh out of the car and arrested him at gunpoint.[28][29] According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Routh was detained as aperson of interest while he was driving northbound on Interstate 95 fromPalm Beach County.[30] The sheriff's units "waited [for] a while" to stop the vehicle to avoid engaging in a high-speed chase. Seventeen burnercell-phones were found inside Routh's vehicle.[31] AnSKS-style rifle with a removed serial number, ascope, two backpacks containing ceramic tiles that could deflect a bullet, a plastic bag containing food, and aGoPro camera, were recovered at the scene.[18][22][32] Routh was unarmed at the time of his arrest.[33]
After Routh's arrest, Donald Trump contacted the Martin County Sheriff's Office and requested that those involved in Routh's apprehension join him atMar-a-Lago so he could personally thank them for their work. Each deputy signed a pair of black handcuffs and gave them to Trump. Lieutenant Travis Dykes stated that there could have been a potential disaster if the police department didn't work together as a group. Sheriff William Snyder toldWPTV that he "could not be more proud of his crew."[28]
Shortly after the incident, authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident who lived for most of his life inGreensboro, North Carolina.[34] From the early 1990's to the early 2000's, Routh owned a roofing company in Greensboro.[35][36]
Routh had a history of political activity online and offline, with his political engagement dating back to at least 1989.[37] Voting records showed that he did not vote in the2016 elections,[38] but in a 2020Twitter post, he claimed to have voted for Trump in 2016 and later regretted it.[39] In a self-publishedebook in 2023, he wrote about his supposed previous support for Trump, saying, "I am man enough to say that I misjudged and made a terrible mistake."[40] He reached out toIran in his book, saying they should feel free to assassinate Trump for the United Stateswithdrawal from theJoint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as well as Routh himself for supporting Trump in the past.[40][41] Routh condemned theJanuary 6 Capitol attack as being "perpetrated by Donald Trump and his undemocratic posse".[37]
After his disillusionment with Trump, Routh announced his support for various presidential opponents of Trump, including bothDemocratic andRepublican presidential candidates.[42][40] Additionally, Routh donated $140 to Democratic causes since 2019. He registered in North Carolina as anindependent voter in 2012.[42][40] He voted inNorth Carolina's Democratic primary elections in 2024.[37]
Routh had multiple prior criminal charges, including a 2002 conviction for "possessing a weapon of mass death and destruction" after threatening to blow up a local police department,[43] and then barricading himself in a building with a fully automatic weapon. As part of a plea deal, he agreed to undergo a mental health evaluation and accept recommended treatments. He had over one hundred criminal counts filed against him in North Carolina, which included driving violations and possession of stolen items. Routh typically received parole or probation for his offenses, with no record of time that he was in prison.[37][44][41]
Routh and his son, Oran Alexander Routh, had had a falling out and had not talked prior to the assassination attempt, although following the attempt Oran said that his father was "a loving and caring father, and honest, hardworking man" and that "it doesn't sound like the man I know to do anything crazy, much less violent".[45]
Routh claimed on his social media accounts, as well as in 2022 interviews withThe New York Times,Newsweek Romania, andDer Tagesspiegel to have made efforts torecruit foreign soldiers forUkraine in itswar against Russia.[46][47]Newsweek reported Routh had claimed to have fought in Ukraine, while he toldThe New York Times he did not fight in Ukraine.[48] Routh said in a 2022 interview with a Romanian reporter inKyiv that he flew to Ukraine to join the army in the months after Russia's full-scale invasion, but learned that he was "not an ideal candidate" for the battlefield because he was in his mid-50s with no military experience. Later in 2022, Routh said in an interview that after he was rejected for military service, he began recruiting volunteer soldiers for the Ukrainian military.[49] Routh complained of roadblocks to Ukraine admitting foreign fighters, telling the publicationSemafor that "Ukraine is very often hard to work with, they're afraid that anybody and everybody is a Russian spy".[50][51] Routh was filmed at an April 2022 protest inIndependence Square in Kyiv.[52]
A former volunteer forUkraine's International Legion, Evelyn Aschenbrenner, branded Routh as "delusional" and a "liar" over his claims that he recruited for the Ukrainian organization, saying Routh was "not, and never has been, associated with the International Legion or the Ukrainian Armed Forces at all". Aschenbrenner said of Routh "He was combative. He was argumentative. He refused repeatedly to understand basic army policy", further adding "There wasdelusions of grandeur and [he was] very disconnected from reality". The International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine said in a statement that Routh had "never been part of, associated with, or linked" to it "in any capacity."[53][54][55]
Chelsea Walsh, a travel nurse who had met Routh in Ukraine, viewed Routh as "a threat to others" and a "ticking time bomb", and warned a Homeland Security agent upon her return from Ukraine. She claimed that Routh decided to dedicate his life to protecting Ukraine upon first hearing about the war in 2022, and that he would become "vengeful" and "angry" if he did not get his way. Sometime in 2023, Walsh ultimately reported Routh to the FBI for his behavior.[56] Routh had also claimed to her to have organized a protest outside PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy's home and was jailed for it, although this was not confirmed.[57] Walsh repeated her concerns to both the FBI and Interpol.[58]
After being arrested as the potential suspect, Routh was charged with two offenses: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed.[59] Less than a day after the arrest, he was seen smiling and laughing with his lawyer.[60] Footage of his arrest was released to the public.[61] Routh was charged on September 24 with attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.[62] On December 18, Routh was additionally charged with attempted felony murder after it was discovered that the traffic closure caused during Routh's initial arrest led to a traffic crash that injured a 6-year-old girl who was traveling with her family.[63]
Samuel and Lazaro Plata, two brothers who were friends with Routh,[64] contacted law enforcement on September 18, stating that Routh had dropped off a box containing a 12-page letter at their house several months before the incident. The two opened the box after the incident.[4] Improvised destructive device components, burner cellphones, and .50 caliber ammunition was recovered from the box. On September 23, 2024, theDepartment of Justice published the first page of the letter; it stated:[4][65][66]
Dear World, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job. Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a U.S president. U.S presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity. Trump fails to understand any of-
According to authorities, the letter indicated that Routh may have planned the assassination attempt as early as February 2024, and simultaneously acknowledged months in advance that he might fail.[67]
TheFederal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation of the incident,[18] along with theUnited States Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.[68] The FBI treated the incident as an attempted assassination.[8] Florida GovernorRon DeSantis pledged to open a state-level investigation into the incident.[69]
On the day of the incident, Routh's motive was described as unknown.[30] Shortly after the incident, law enforcement linked the license plates for the Nissan Xterra used by Routh to a 2012Ford truck that was reported as stolen. Tommy McGee identified Routh after he was taken into custody. Data from his cell phone showed that he had arrived at the golf course at 1:59 a.m., where he had waited for roughly 12 hours.[22]
Further investigation revealed that the seventeen burner cellphones found in Routh's vehicle were bought by him under the alias "John White". Several licenses plates were discovered in the vehicle as well, one owned by his daughter, Sara Ellen Routh. It was later discovered that Routh had stolen these license plates to evade detection and capture while fleeing the scene of the assassination attempt, and that he used one of them during an earlier reconnaissance.[31][70] More items found inside Routh's vehicle included cartridge casings, several emptySunnyD bottles andVienna sausage cans, and notes about flights toMexico andColombia. They described the vehicle as "unorganized," and that there was a chance Routh had lived in it for a while.[71][72]
In November 2024, all of the chat logs on Routh'sWhatsApp account were investigated byThe Independent and investigative newsroomLighthouse Reports after it was discovered that on September 12, three days before the incident, Routh exchanged messages through this app with British-trained commandos fromAfghanistan about recruitment to theRusso-Ukrainian War. Routh's account on the app consisted of several discussions with special forces from Afghanistan about how to get to Ukraine to fight in the war.[73]
On February 20, 2025, Routh's defense team inspected the Trump golf course during a visit arranged by the US Justice Department. After this visit they inspected evidence from the case such as the rifle, which the Justice Department had transported to an FBI field office in Florida.[74]
Following a court filing on March 3, defense attorney Kristy Militello requested for the rifle to be tested. Upon being questioned by Judge Cannon, Militello responded with; "The rifle is old, and we want our expert to determine if it's operable, if it's accurate, and what kind of distance it can reach." Investigators did not conduct any testing of the rifle the day of the assassination attempt because no shots were fired at the scene. Judge Cannon then promised a ruling on testing the weapon.[75]
On April 7, an indictment by federal prosecutors publicly alleged that Routh had discussed the idea with someone he believed to be a Ukrainian about using a rocket launcher to shoot down Trump's plane. This led to Florida Attorney GeneralJames Uthmeier charging Routh with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism.[3]
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As part of investigations following the assassination attempt, authorities searched the Greensboro home of Ryan Routh's son, Oran Alexander Routh.[45] They later discoveredchild pornography on Oran's electronic devices, where he was then promptly arrested.[76][77] Oran pled guilty to one count of possessing child pornography involving a minor who had not yet reached 12 years of age. He then had an outburst in the court, claiming his arrest on the charges were motivated by "political persecution".[77] On July 25, 2025, Oran was sentenced to seven years in prison with five years of supervised probation.[78]
The federal case was assigned to JudgeAileen Cannon, the same Trump-appointed judge who two months earlier had dismissed thefederal prosecution of Trump regarding his possession of classified documents.[79]
On September 30, 2024, Routh pleaded not guilty to all five counts brought against him in federal court.[80][81] The next day, Cannon set a preliminary trial date of November 18.[82]
On October 17, Routh's lawyers asked Cannon to recuse herself to avoid the appearance of bias in favor of Trump.[79] However, Cannon refused to step down.[83] As a result, Routh's trial date was moved to February 10, 2025.[84]
On November 4, one day before the 2024 presidential election, Routh sent a letter to a local newsroom stating that if Trump wins the election, it will mark "the end of Democracy and the beginning of a Civil War" and that Trump "will not let go of the power given to him." He also begged thePalm Beach County Sheriff's Office to "help lead the country the way to Democracy." Prosecutors noted that Routh's handwriting of the letter matched the same handwriting as the alleged note written months prior discussing his failure to assassinate Trump, which confirmed Routh wrote the note.[85]
After appearing in federal court for a hearing on December 11, Routh's legal team announced they were considering giving Routh an insanity defense. Public defenders claimed Routh had met with mental health experts and jail mental health professionals at least twice, who all called him "delusional". Prosecutors also confirmed that Routh had written up to forty letters to national news outlets to try and convince them he was innocent. The letters were intercepted before being received. Routh's attorneys requested for the trial to be delayed until December 2025.[86] Cannon granted the request in part, setting a new trial date of September 8, 2025.[9]
On April 7, 2025, Routh filed an amended motion to dismiss two of the charges against him, which was 'possession of a firearm by a felon' and 'possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number'. In the filing, Routh argued that the gun violations were unconstitutional and a violation of theSecond Amendment, because the amendment does not regulate the ownership of guns by felons or serial numbers.[87] The motion was rejected by the court two days later on April 9.[88] On the same day, Tommy McGee was interviewed by law enforcement. However, he felt pressured because of the intense atmosphere created by the presence of multiple law enforcement agencies.[31]
On July 24, Cannon granted Routh's motion to fire his public defenders and represent himself at trial, stating that while it was unwise, he had a constitutional right to do so. Cannon also denied his public defender's motion to withdraw, ordering them to remain as standby counsel. The decision followed repeated breakdowns in communication between Routh and his attorneys, who claimed their relationship had become "irreconcilably broken." When asked if he understood federal criminal court procedure, Routh said; "I have a book."[43] Prosecutors expressed concern that Routh may attempt to introduce inflammatory or irrelevant material in court.[89] On the same day, Routh submitted three filings to the court, all of which were filled with sentiments and riddles with typos. In one specific filing, Routh challenged Trump to a golf match, stating; "He wins, he can execute me. I win, I get his job." In the same filing, Routh called Trump's vice presidentJD Vance a "hillbilly."[90]
On September 2, the trial's final pre-trial hearing was held. The hearing was met with much drama as Routh clashed with the prosecution over his trial attire, which included banned slogan shirts. Judge Cannon had to specifically instruct Routh to dress appropriately for the court. Routh also filed a motion to add ten new witnesses to testify at the trial, including academics and a former girlfriend of his. Judge Cannon denied the motion, calling it "absurd." Routh's attempts to introduce personal letters as evidence were also dismissed.[91]
Routh's trial began on September 8, 2025,[9] and his jury was selected the following day.[92] On September 11, Routh delivered an opening argument that began with a series of tangential historical references unrelated to his case, which lasted five minutes before Judge Cannon stopped him and ordered the jury out of the room. She told Routh that in an opening statement, he is only allowed to talk about valid evidence in an objective and non-argumentative way. When the jury returned, Routh began by telling the jury that the case "meant absolutely nothing." Judge Cannon immediately dismissed the jury again and explained that Routh had violated the rules laid out in court and that opening statements were over.[93]
On September 15, the FBI analyzed the fingerprints found on theSKS semi-automatic 7.62x39 caliber rifle that Routh left behind at the scene of the assassination attempt, and confirmed that it matched hisDNA.[94]
On September 20, Routh filed a motion to the court to drop all of the charges against him, claiming that since the gun was never fired, prosecutors have "yet to prove" an assassination attempt on Trump took place. He also argued that the area outside Trump International Golf Club is a public right of way, giving anyone the right to be there with a weapon. On September 22, after a witness testimony, Routh rested his case. By that point, a total of 38 people have testified at the trial as witnesses, including Robert Fercano and Tommy McGee.[95]
On September 23, Routh was found guilty on all federal counts. The jury deliberated for around two and a half hours.[96] While the verdict was being read in the courtroom, Routh grabbed a black pen and repeatedly attempted to stab himself in the neck,[97] before Marshals tackled him to the ground and picked him up, before dragging him out of the courtroom.[98] Routh's daughter, Sara, immediately begged her father to not hurt himself and began swearing in front of the juror before storming out of the courtroom.[99] Routh returned to the courtroom soon after while handcuffed, appearing to be uninjured, with no blood visible on his white shirt and not appearing to have succeeded in harming himself.[99][11]
Following the trial's conclusion, Sara would publicly speak to the media about the assassination attempt for the first time. She denied that her father was responsible for the assassination attempt, claiming the media was "spreading lies" about him. Sara called her father her "best friend" and that it "wasn't in her father's nature" to commit such a crime. Sara also brought up Routh's stabbing attempt in the court, saying; "Our democracy is crumbling right in front of our eyes, and no one's doing anything about it. And my dad tried to bring awareness to that."[100]
On October 22, the Federal Public Defender's Office requested the court to appoint an attorney to represent Routh during the sentencing. They cited that Routh regretted representing himself at trial, and that he wanted an attorney to represent him during his sentencing. The Department of Justice stated that appointing an attorney would not allow Routh to reargue his trial or question any previous court rulings.[101]
On September 22, 2024, FBI agents interviewed roofing business owner Ronnie Jay Oxendine and his employee Tina Brown Cooper, who was also a friend and former employee of Routh, as part of their investigation. Cooper was a registered Republican,[102] while Oxendine never registered to vote. They interviewed Oxendine inClimax, North Carolina. Oxendine told the agents that he met Routh in the early 1990's, while they were both owners of local roofing companies. Oxendine falsely told the agents that around this time, Routh had pawned an SKS rifle to him for approximately $300. After immense pressure, Oxendine later admitted that he lied in order to minimize his role in the assassination attempt. Oxendine also admitted that from July to August 2024, he and Cooper arranged a plan to obtain a rifle as part of Routh's assassination plot. Oxendine stated that on August 2, he obtained the rifle and called Cooper to meet him and Routh at Oxendine's roofing company. Here, Oxendine claimed that Routh payed him $350 in cash for the SKS rifle and paid Cooper $100 in cash for arranging the sale. The rifle's serial number was removed by Routh shortly after.[43][35]
Later that same day, the agents interviewed Cooper in Greensboro, North Carolina. She told them that she met Routh in 1999 while she was an employee of his roofing business in Greensboro. She said she became aware of Routh's lengthy criminal record sometime in 2002. Additionally, she admitted she was "guilty" of assisting Routh, whom she knew was a convicted felon, in acquiring a firearm.
Cooper also revealed to the agents that on the day of the assassination attempt, when Oxendine learned about the incident through his sister, he briefed Cooper on it through text messages, where she told him that she was going to delete all traces of Routh off of all her electronic devices. When FBI agents visited Oxendine's company on September 19, Cooper instructed Oxendine to refuse to cooperate with the FBI. The agents then asked Cooper if she had instructed any other person involved in the firearms transaction to lie to the FBI or mislead the FBI’s investigation. On multiple occasions, she denied this.[43][35][36]
Both Cooper and Oxendine were both indicted in March 2025, and were arrested the following month. Cooper pleaded guilty to firearm trafficking, while Oxendine pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered firearm.[103][104] Oxendine faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.[105]
On September 17, 2025, Oxendine testified as a witness at Routh's trial. He detailed how he and Cooper arranged the sale of the rifle to Routh the year prior. Routh apologized to Oxendine and offered to serve part of his prison sentence saying; "I know you're extremely mad at me." This prompted Judge Cannon to intervene and warn Routh about violating his time on the lectern. Cooper refused to testify as a witness at the trial.[105][106]
On April 7, 2025, an indictment by federal prosecutors alleged that Routh had a conversation onWhatsApp with a man from Mexico saved in his phone as "Ramiro" on February 29, 2024 about potentially smuggling an Afghanistani migrant family into the United States from Mexico. The indictment claimed that the man spoke mostly Spanish, and that Routh occasionally usedGoogle Translate to communicate with him. Their next alleged conversation occurred seven months later on September 12, where Routh allegedly sent a message stating that he planned on fleeing toMexico City following the assassination attempt, with "Ramiro" allegedly responding that he would see Routh then and that he was located four hours outside of Mexico City. Routh allegedly replied that he would call "Ramiro" once he knew for sure whether or not he’d meet him.[31]
Routh also allegedly sought to obtain military weapons in August 2024 as part of his assassination plot from someone he believed to be a Ukrainian. Routh allegedly told this associate through WhatsApp to send him arocket-propelled grenade or a stinger, stating that he "needed equipment so that Trump couldn't get elected." Routh also allegedly discussed the idea of using a rocket launcher to shoot down Trump's plane.[70]
PresidentJoe Biden and Vice PresidentKamala Harris, Trump's opponent in the2024 presidential election, were briefed on the incident.[26] The White House released a statement saying: "The president and vice president have been briefed about the security incident at the Trump International Golf Course, where former President Trump was golfing. They are relieved to know that he is safe."[30] In a separate statement, Harris said: "I have been briefed on reports of gunshots fired near former President Trump and his property in Florida, and I am glad he is safe. Violence has no place in America."[7]
Shortly after the shooting,Elon Musk, executive chairman ofTwitter,quote-retweeted a post on the site which asked "Why they want [sic] to kill Donald Trump?", responding that "no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala". Although he initially defended his wording, Musk deleted the tweet following widespread condemnation, claiming the next day that his remarks were intended as a joke. The White House issued a statement calling Musk's comment "irresponsible", writing that "violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about".[107][108] TheSecret Service additionally opened an investigation into Musk over his remarks.[109][needs update]
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