Man accused of trying to kill Trump says prosecutors haven't proven
assassination attempt
[September 20, 2025]
By DAVID FISCHER
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man accused of trying to assassinate
President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year told a
federal judge on Friday that prosecutors haven't proven that an
assassination attempt occurred. But the judge denied his motion for
acquittal, meaning jurors will eventually decide the man's fate.
Prosecutors rested their case against Ryan Routh Friday afternoon
following testimony from 38 witnesses over seven days. After jurors were
dismissed for the weekend, Routh, who is representing himself, made a
motion for acquittal directly to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on
four of the five counts against him, excluding the charge of being a
convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors have said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before
aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15,
2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a
major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several
firearm violations.
Routh argued Friday afternoon that prosecutors haven't proven any
attempt to assassinate Trump.
“They maybe proved that someone was outside the (golf course) fence with
a gun, but the gun was never fired,” Routh said.
Routh said the area outside the Trump International Golf Club was a
public right of way for a public road, and anyone had a right to be
there with a weapon.
Prosecutors responded that Routh took multiple substantial steps in his
attempt to kill Trump, including aiming a loaded gun with its safety off
through the fence.
“This is as far from peaceful assembly as you can get,” Assistant U.S.
Attorney John Shipley said.
Cannon denied Routh's motion, explaining that a juror could reasonably
find that prosecutors had met their burden of proof. That means the next
step is for the defense to begin its case Monday morning. Routh has
indicated he plans to call three witnesses: a firearms expert and two
character witnesses. He hasn’t said whether he plans to testify himself.
He told the judge Friday that his case should take about half a day.
Cannon said attorneys should be prepared to deliver their closing
arguments on Tuesday, giving each side one hour and 45 minutes. Jurors
will begin deliberating after that. Cannon had initially blocked off
more than three weeks for the trial at the Fort Pierce federal
courthouse, but Routh's relatively short cross examinations have led to
a quicker pace than anticipated.
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This courtroom sketch shows Secret Service agent Robert Fercano
identifying the defendant in the trial of Ryan Routh, who is charged
with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year at a golf
course in South Florida, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Fort Pierce,
Fla. (Lothar Speer via AP)
The prosecution's final witness spent about six hours over Thursday
and Friday tying together about a week's worth of testimony. FBI
Supervisory Special Agent Kimberly McGreevy used cellphone records,
location data, text messages, bank records, internet searches,
security video and various store receipts to illustrate Routh's
actions and movements over the month prior to the attempted attack
and to show that he began trying to acquire a gun, despite being a
convicted felon, nearly six months before his arrest.
Evidence showed that Routh traveled to South Florida about a month
before the assassination attempt, McGreevy said. He lived out of a
black Nissan Xterra, normally parked at a western Palm Beach County
truck stop, while routinely traveling to the areas around Palm Beach
International Airport, Trump International Golf Course and Trump's
primary residence at Mar-a-Lago, the agent said.
“He was living at that truck stop and conducting physical and
electronic surveillance and stalking the president, then-former
President Trump,” McGreevy said.
Recounting the alleged attack at the golf course, a Secret Service
agent testified last week that he spotted Routh before Trump came
into view. Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire,
causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot, the
agent said.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who testified that he
saw a person fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witness
was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where
Routh was arrested, and the witness said he confirmed it was the
person he had seen.
Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived an attempt on his life
while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight
shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear. The gunman was then
fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
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