Ryan Wesley Routh will die in federal prison. On February 4, 2026, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced the 59-year-old to life in prison plus an additional seven years for attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course in September 2024. The sentence came after a jury found Routh guilty on all five federal counts in just a few hours of deliberation. It was the culmination of one of the strangest, most disturbing criminal cases in recent American history.
What Happened at Trump International Golf Club
On September 15, 2024, Routh positioned himself in shrubbery along the fence line of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He had been hiding there since roughly 2:00 AM. By early afternoon, he was armed with an SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope, a loaded magazine containing 19 rounds plus one in the chamber, and steel armor plates. A camera was affixed to the fence pointing at the sixth green of the golf course, presumably to record his attack.
Trump was playing golf that day, just one hole behind Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, who was patrolling ahead of the former president’s position. Fercano spotted Routh pointing what appeared to be an AK-47-style rifle through the fence, approximately 400 yards from Trump. Fearing for his own life and the life of Trump, Fercano opened fire. Routh fled.
A civilian witness named Tommy McGee saw Routh sprinting across a nearby road and climbing into a black Nissan Xterra. McGee noted the license plate, which proved critical. Officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office caught up to Routh heading northbound on I-95. Inside his vehicle, they found multiple mobile phones, a list of international flights, and directions to Miami International Airport. He was planning to run.
Months of Stalking and Planning
This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment act. Prosecutors laid out evidence at trial showing Routh had been planning the assassination for months. Cell phone records revealed that between August 18 and September 15, 2024, Routh’s phone accessed cell towers near both Trump International Golf Club and Mar-a-Lago on multiple occasions. He was tracking Trump’s movements and routines, learning the patterns.
The rifle itself was purchased on August 2, 2024, from a man named Ronnie Oxendine for $350. Because Routh was a convicted felon who couldn’t legally buy firearms, he enlisted a former employee named Tina Cooper to help arrange the sale. Cooper received $100 for her role. After getting the gun, Routh removed the serial number, adding yet another federal charge to the pile.
He drove from North Carolina to South Florida using a stolen license plate and lived out of his vehicle at a truck stop while conducting surveillance. Burner phones recovered by investigators showed searches for “Trump’s upcoming rallies,” “Palm Beach traffic cameras,” “Directions to Miami airport,” and “flights to Mexico.” The prosecution described it as a meticulous, calculated plot.
Perhaps the most chilling piece of evidence was a letter. Back in April 2024, Routh dropped off a box at a witness’s residence after making a trip to the area near the golf course. Inside was a handwritten note addressed “Dear World” that read: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.” He wrote the confession before he even carried out the attempt. He also offered $150,000 to “whomever can complete the job.”
The Trial Was Bizarre From Start to Finish
Routh’s trial, which began September 8, 2025, in Fort Pierce, Florida, was two weeks of courtroom chaos. He had fired his public defenders back in July 2025 and chose to represent himself. His defense case lasted only a few hours. He called three witnesses and presented what reporters described as a disjointed, ineffective argument. His central claim to the jury was that he was “a peaceful and nonviolent person” who lacked the “cold heart” needed to kill someone.
During closing arguments, Routh tried a different angle. He told the jury that because the assassination “was never going to happen,” it couldn’t legally be considered an attempt. Judge Cannon interrupted him at least 10 times during closings alone.
The jury wasn’t buying any of it. They deliberated for roughly two to three hours before coming back with guilty verdicts on all five counts. And then things got even stranger. As the verdict was read aloud in the courtroom, Routh grabbed a pen and attempted to stab himself in the neck. His daughter screamed from the audience, “Oh my god, he’s trying to kill himself.” Federal marshals tackled and subdued him.
In the weeks that followed, Routh filed a series of erratic court documents. In one, he apologized to the judge for what he called “the nuisance of the trial.” Referring to his pen incident, he wrote, “just a quarter inch further back and we all would not have to deal with all this mess.” In another filing, he asked to be imprisoned in a state that permits assisted suicide, writing, “I am a constant failure.”
Judge Cannon Did Not Hold Back
At the February 4 sentencing hearing, Routh again tried to make it about himself. He read from a prepared statement, telling the court that all he ever wanted was to be a good American. “I never drank, never smoked, never did drugs,” he said. “I gave every ounce of myself to make America a better place.” He asked to be exchanged for political prisoners around the world. About seven or eight minutes into his speech, Judge Cannon asked in an exasperated tone how much longer he planned to talk. He said he had about 20 more pages, roughly 30 minutes worth. She cut him off.
“Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil,” Cannon told him. “You are not a peaceful man.” She said Routh “intended to kill a major presidential candidate” and “almost achieved your evil plan.” She called the life sentence reasonable and appropriate.
Prosecutor John Shipley told the court that Routh’s intent had been “to upend American democracy” and that he “intended a cold-blooded killing.” The prosecution’s sentencing memo noted that Routh “remains totally unrepentant” and had never expressed remorse or regret for what he did. They argued his motive was political, an attempt to prevent American voters from being able to elect Trump, which triggered a federal terrorism sentencing enhancement.
Defense attorney Martin Roth, who was brought in specifically for the sentencing phase, asked for 20 years on top of the mandatory seven-year firearm sentence. He argued Routh “decided not to pull the trigger” and that “he has a good core.” Judge Cannon rejected that argument entirely.
As Routh was escorted out of the courtroom, he whispered “good job” to his attorney. Then he turned toward the gallery, winked, and blew a kiss.
Who Was Ryan Wesley Routh?
Routh was born on February 18, 1966, in Guilford County, North Carolina. He worked as a roofing contractor for most of his adult life and had a lengthy criminal record, including felony convictions, charges for writing worthless checks, possession of stolen goods, and failure to pay taxes. A failed business, a messy divorce, and growing political obsessions defined his later years.
What’s strange is that Routh actually supported Trump back in 2016. But by 2020, he had turned sharply against him. He donated to Act Blue and several Democratic campaigns, including those of Tulsi Gabbard, Beto O’Rourke, and Andrew Yang. He voted in the Democratic primary in March 2024. In public court filings during his case, he called Trump “a racist pig” and challenged the president to “a beatdown session” or a round of golf.
In 2023, Routh self-published a book called “Ukraine’s Unwinnable War,” which included the statement that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump.” He had become involved in activist circles related to the Ukraine conflict. A travel nurse who encountered him in Ukraine described him as “a threat to others” and “a ticking time bomb” and reported him to the FBI that same year.
Florida state prosecutors also brought separate charges against Routh. In April 2025, he was indicted for allegedly discussing the idea with someone he believed to be Ukrainian of using a rocket launcher to shoot down Trump’s plane. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier charged him with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism at the state level.
An Appeal Is Coming
Defense attorney Martin Roth told reporters after the sentencing that he believes Judge Cannon made an error by applying the federal terrorism enhancement to Routh’s sentence. He said he plans to file an appeal. Whether that appeal gains any traction is anyone’s guess, but given the mountain of evidence, the pre-written confession letter, the months of surveillance, and the loaded rifle pointed at a golf course where the president was playing, it’s hard to imagine any court granting Routh relief.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones summed it up after the hearing: “Today’s life sentence ensures the defendant will never again threaten public safety and sends a clear message that those who choose violence to advance their beliefs will face swift, certain, and decisive justice.”
Ryan Wesley Routh will spend the rest of his life behind bars. For a man who told the court his sentence was “unimportant,” that’s a very long time to sit with it.