Attempted Trump assassin Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison
Routh was convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump on a golf course.
February 4, 2026, 11:15 AM
U.S. Judge Aileen Cannon on Wednesday sentenced Ryan Routh to spend the rest of his life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on his Florida golf course in September 2024.
Before handing down the sentence, Cannon rebuked Routh’s actions and called him an "evil" man, West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF reported.
Cannon issued a life sentence plus an additional seven years in prison based on the second count of the indictment.
She also praised the actions of law enforcement and witnesses for bringing Routh to justice.
"Despite all the evil we see, there is a sliver of hope, a sliver of light,” she remarked.
Prosecutors seek life sentence for would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh
Cannon cut off Routh after he attempted to use his opportunity to address the court to make a speech about Ukraine and other topics unrelated to his crimes.
Routh maintained his composure as the sentence was read. Before he was escorted out of court, Routh smiled and blew a kiss toward his siblings seated in the courtroom, according to WPBF.
Routh's defense attorney said he plans to file an appeal. The attorney said Routh never intended to do any harm to Trump and that he should not have been able to represent himself during the trial.
Prosecutors argued that Routh, 60, should get a life sentence after a jury last year convicted him on five counts for allegedly plotting “painstakingly to kill President Trump, and [taking] significant steps toward making that happen.”
“Routh’s crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence -- he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,” prosecutors argued in a court filing.
After a two-and-a-half-week trial in September, a jury quickly found Routh guilty on five felony counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.
Routh allegedly hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle towards Trump and a Secret Service agent.
“Routh’s crimes of conviction reflect careful plotting, extensive premeditation, and a cowardly disregard for human life,” prosecutors wrote. “Routh’s motive for his crimes was unconscionable – preventing the American people from electing the candidate of their choice for President. Routh’s gloss on his crimes has always been that anything he may have done was justified by events in Ukraine or American domestic politics.”
Routh represented himself at trial and attempted to argue that he never intended to harm Trump or the Secret Service agent, framing his actions as a form of protest against the president’s policies. After he was found guilty, he attempted to harm himself in front of the jury by stabbing himself with a pen.
Ryan Routh, would-be Trump assassin, tries to stab himself after being found guilty on all counts
Since his conviction, Routh was appointed an attorney and has requested a 27-year sentence that would allow him to “experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison.” His lawyer argued that Routh could not have a fair trial because he represented himself, even though Routh made that decision after repeated warnings about the potential consequences.
“Defendant recognizes that he was found guilty by the jury but asserts that the jury was misled by his inability to effectively confront witnesses, use exhibits, or affirmatively introduce impeachment evidence designed to prove his lack of intent to cause injury to anyone,” his defense lawyer wrote.
Routh had attempted to bolster his push for a lighter sentence by submitting multiple letters from friends attesting to his character and undergoing a psychiatric examination, which suggested he suffers from narcissistic personality disorder and bipolar II disorder.
“Ryan has already shown, through his actions, that he is an asset to his community, not a threat. He deserves the chance to one day return home, where he can continue to be a loving father, partner, and a peaceful, contributing member of society,” wrote Darya Trotsenko, a Kyiv resident who said she met Routh when he attempted to volunteer to support Ukraine’s defense.
Timeline of apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump at golf course
But prosecutors argued that Routh continues to show little remorse for his actions, pointing to recent writings in which he referenced an earlier attempt on Trump’s life and wrote, “I hate our dictator missed the trial, can my appeal be heard in 30 years when he is gone.”
In another court filing, Routh suggested he prefers that Trump personally punish him for his actions.
“If the President wished to pummel the defendant just for good measure, put on the handcuffs and shackles and give it your worst. No cameras, no complaints, no charges/charges. Just good fun. Don't be a p—-. (Can I say p—- or coward – sorry),” Routh wrote.
Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge, dismissed the criminal case against the president in 2024 related to his handling of classified documents. Routh unsuccessfully attempted to have Cannon removed from the case by arguing her appointment by Trump is a conflict of interest.
