Ryan Routh, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump last year in South Florida, is set to represent himself in a pretrial conference on Tuesday, as final preparations are made for his trial.
🚨 WOW! Ryan Routh is IN COURT for his last pre-trial hearing! He's on his own now, defending HIMSELF! 😳 Next week, jury selection kicks off! LOCK HIM UP FOR LIFE. No exceptions needed! pic.twitter.com/zZsxn73mDk
— Luca Taner (@LucaTaner) September 2, 2025
🚨 Ryan Wesley Routh — accused of trying to assassinate President Trump in West Palm Beach last year — will represent HIMSELF at trial.
— MxM News (@mxmnews) September 2, 2025
Routh has pleaded NOT GUILTY to federal charges, including attempted assassination and assault on a federal officer. pic.twitter.com/E6jYdHQvzj
Jury selection in the federal case against Ryan Routh is set to begin September 8 in Fort Pierce, Florida. United States District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh's request to represent himself, but required that court-appointed attorneys remain available as standby counsel, according to the New York Post.
The trial comes nearly a year after Secret Service agents thwarted Routh’s alleged attempt to shoot then-presidential candidate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club. Routh has entered a not guilty plea to charges of attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses.
According to prosecutors, a Secret Service agent observed Routh aiming a rifle through bushes before Trump appeared. When Routh allegedly shifted his aim toward the agent, the agent fired his own weapon, prompting Routh to drop his firearm and flee without discharging a round. He was later apprehended along a nearby interstate.
Routh was a construction worker from North Carolina who had recently moved to Hawaii. He was allegedly a self-styled mercenary leader who tried to insert himself into conflicts around the world, and even attempted to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova, and Taiwan to fight the Russians.
He has a substantial criminal record, including a 2002 arrest for fleeing a traffic stop and barricading himself against law enforcement with an automatic weapon and an explosive device. In 2010, police discovered hundreds of stolen goods, ranging from power tools to kayaks and spa tubs, in a warehouse he owned. In both instances, Routh faced felony charges but ultimately received either probation or a suspended sentence.