A man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in 2024 was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon pronounced Ryan Routh’s fate in the same Fort Pierce courtroom that erupted in chaos in September when Routh attempted to stab himself shortly after jurors found him guilty on all counts.
Prosecutors had sought life without parole, saying Routh remains unrepentant and has never apologized. A defense attorney asked for 27 years, noting that he is now approaching 60.
Routh also received a consecutive seven-year sentence for one of his weapons convictions.
Prosecutors stated in a sentencing memorandum that Routh has still not accepted any responsibility and should spend the rest of his life in prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. He was convicted of attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal agent, possessing a firearm with a criminal record, and using a firearm with an altered serial number.
“Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, has never apologized for the lives he endangered, and his life demonstrates an almost total disregard for the law,” the memo states.
Routh’s defense attorney, Martin L. Roth, requested a variation of the sentencing guidelines: 20 years in prison plus a mandatory seven-year sentence for one of the firearms convictions.
