A federal court in Florida sentenced Ryan Routh to life in prison after convicting him of five charges, including attempting to assassinate presidential candidate Donald Trump, after he was arrested armed near a golf course where Trump was playing.
Published on: 05/02/2026 - 01:13
Ryan Routh, the man who attempted to assassinate US President Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida in September 2024, two months before the presidential election, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday.
A jury in Florida (southeast of the United States) previously convicted Routh (59 years old) in September of five charges, including an attempt to assassinate a presidential election candidate.
He was sentenced to the maximum penalty, in line with the request of the Public Prosecution.
Judge Eileen Cannon explained that “the appropriate punishment in this case is life imprisonment,” noting that through this she aims to protect society from “any future crime” that Ruth may commit.
After his trial before this federal court ended, and immediately after the verdict was pronounced, Roth attempted to stab himself with a pen, but the guards quickly intervened and prevented him.
The accused maintained his innocence and defended himself during the trial sessions, stressing that he had no intention of harming Trump or anyone else.
Although he was deemed legally incompetent, Judge Cannon allowed him to defend himself.
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Roth was arrested on September 15, 2024, by members of the US Secret Service, charged with protecting senior political figures, after he spotted an armed man near the golf course where Trump was playing.
This incident constituted the second attempt to assassinate the Republican candidate, who later became the winner of the 2024 presidential elections.
Donald Trump miraculously survived a first assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, during an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (northeast).
The perpetrator of that attempt, Thomas Matthew Crooks (20 years old), was able to fire several bullets before the Secret Service members shot him. At that time, pictures of Trump with blood streaming down his face and his hand were spread around the world, and the incident was considered a pivotal moment in the course of the election campaign.
France 24/AFP
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