Would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh is sentenced to life plus 7 years

Ryan Routh was sentenced Wednesday to life in jail plus seven years after his 2024 assassination try on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump at his golf membership in West Palm Seashore, Florida.

The sentencing comes after Routh was convicted final September of 5 federal crimes, together with tried homicide of a number one presidential candidate, assault on a federal officer and a number of firearms offenses.

Routh spoke for about quarter-hour in courtroom Wednesday, repeating subjects he talked about throughout his trial, equivalent to speaking about himself as an excellent particular person and his alleged work in Ukraine recruiting for his or her army.

Nevertheless, U.S. District Choose Aileen Cannon finally restrained Routh and sentenced her, saying he’s a foul one that deliberate to kill Trump and would have performed so if a Secret Service agent had not disrupted the plot.

TRUMP KILLER ATTEMPT TO LEARN PUNISHMENT, WITH PROSECUTORS SEEKING LIFE

Ryan Routh is seen holding a banner studying “World Assist Us” throughout an illustration in Kiev, Ukraine in Could 2022. (Artem Gvozdkov/World Photos Ukraine by way of Getty Photos)

Prosecutors pushed for the 59-year-old to obtain a life sentence, whereas Routh’s lawyer, Martin Roth, requested the decide for a 20-year jail time period, along with a compulsory seven-year sentence for one of many weapons convictions.

“American democracy would not work when people take issues into their very own palms to eradicate candidates. That is what this particular person tried to do,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer John Shipley advised the decide Wednesday.

Roth argued that “for the time being of reality he selected to not pull the set off.”

The decide backtracked and famous Routh’s arrest historical past, prompting Roth to say, “He is a fancy particular person, I will inform the courtroom that, however he has an excellent core.”

An overview of the authorized proceedings in the course of the sentencing of Ryan Routh in Fort Pierce, Florida, on February 4, 2026. (Lothar Speer)

Routh then learn from a 20-page assertion. Cannon intervened, saying nothing he stated was related and giving him 5 extra minutes to speak, The Related Press reported.

“I did every thing I may and lived an excellent life,” Routh stated earlier than the decide minimize him off.

“Your plan to kill was deliberate and evil,” she stated. “You aren’t a peaceable man. You are not an excellent man.’

She then handed down his sentence: life in jail with out parole, plus seven years on the weapons cost. His sentences for his different three crimes will run concurrently.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT DETAILS ‘CORNER BOOK AMBUSH’, BIZARRE SELF-REPRESENTATION IN RYAN ROUTH TRIAL

Suspected killer Ryan Routh was arrested by police in Florida in September 2024. He was convicted of all prices in opposition to him. (Martin County Sheriff’s Workplace/Reuters)

Routh’s sentencing in Fort Pierce, Florida, was initially scheduled for December, however Cannon agreed to push the date again after Routh determined to retain an lawyer in the course of the sentencing part as a substitute of representing himself as he did throughout many of the trial.

Prosecutors stated Routh plotted to kill Trump for weeks earlier than pointing a rifle by bushes whereas the then-Republican presidential candidate performed golf at his nation membership in West Palm Seashore, Florida, on September 15, 2024.

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Throughout Routh’s trial, a Secret Service agent who helped defend Trump on the golf course testified that he noticed Routh earlier than Trump got here into view. Routh pointed his gun on the officer, who opened hearth, inflicting Routh to drop his weapon and run away with out firing a shot.

Fox Information Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Heather Lacy, Andre Tinoco and The Related Press contributed to this report.