Arya News - Judge says Ryan Routh engaged in ‘premeditated’ plot to kill Trump several months before the US presidential election.
A judge has sentenced Ryan Routh , convicted of plotting to kill Donald Trump two months before the 2024 US presidential election, to life in prison.
The 59-year-old Routh was accused of hiding in the bushes of a Florida golf course where Trump was golfing with a semi-automatic rifle for nearly 10 hours before being spotted by Secret Service agents.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 items list 1 of 3 US man found guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump last year list 2 of 3 Six Secret Service agents suspended over Trump assassination failings list 3 of 3 Trial begins in US for man accused of Trump assassination attempt end of list “It’s clear to me that you engaged in a premeditated, calculated plot to take a human life,” US District Judge Cannon said in her Wednesday ruling.
Routh, who served as his own defence lawyer during his trial , had asked the judge, a Trump appointee, for a 27-year prison term. Prosecutors, who said his crimes were aimed at “upending American democracy”, had recommended a life sentence.
The incident took place on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, about two months after Trump had survived a more serious attempt on his life at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania , when a bullet from a gunman grazed Trump’s ear.
Prosecutors stated that Routh arrived in South Florida about one month before the day of the incident, living at a truck stop and trying to compile information about Trump’s movement and schedule.
In a series of bizarre remarks, a shackled Routh talked about conflicts overseas and said that he wanted to be exchanged for political prisoners abroad.
“I have given every drop of who I am every day for the betterment of my community and this nation,” he said.
Routh denied in a court filing that he had intended to kill Trump and said that he would be willing to undergo psychological treatment while in prison.