Life Sentence Handed Down for Man Who Tried to Kill Trump at Florida Golf Course. Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old man who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course during the 2024 campaign, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced Routh to life in prison on Wednesday in a Florida courtroom, delivering a decisive victory for federal prosecutors who argued he posed a permanent threat to public safety. Cannon, a Trump appointee, imposed the maximum sentence following Routh’s conviction on all counts.
The case stemmed from September 15, 2024, when Routh hid in bushes near the sixth hole of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course while the then-presidential candidate was on the property. Armed with a rifle, Routh was spotted by Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, who fired at him, forcing Routh to flee.
Routh escaped in a vehicle parked nearby but was later arrested by Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies as he drove north on Interstate 95. Investigators quickly determined the incident was not random, but a calculated attempt to assassinate a major presidential candidate.
🚨 BREAKING: Wannabe Trump assassin Ryan Routh has officially been sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON
Enjoying rotting in solitary, scumbag.
Trump is your President, and you’ll spend the rest of your miserable life in a cage. pic.twitter.com/S06PQqfNUJ
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) February 4, 2026
During the trial, Routh fired his attorneys and chose to represent himself. He argued that “merely” possessing a weapon “in the presence of another is not intent.” The jury rejected that claim after deliberating for just two hours following a two-week trial.
Routh was found guilty on all five counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assault of a federal officer. Moments after the verdict was read, Routh grabbed a pen and attempted to stab himself in the neck in the courtroom. Law enforcement officers restrained and shackled him before he could seriously injure himself.
Prosecutors presented extensive evidence, including writings in which Routh expressed hatred for Trump and stated that Iran was “free to assassinate Trump as well as me.” The FBI also recovered a chilling letter Routh sent to a civilian witness.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” Routh wrote. “It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”
The letter criticized Trump’s handling of Iran and blamed him for instability in the Middle East.
Investigators found cellphones and a list of international flights in Routh’s vehicle. Phone data showed repeated pings near Trump’s golf course and Mar-a-Lago between August 18 and September 15, 2024.
Routh also had ties to Ukraine, having traveled there in 2022. According to Justice Department filings, he sought a rocket-propelled grenade from someone he believed was Ukrainian, writing that Trump “is not good for Ukraine” and that he needed equipment “so that Trump cannot get elected.”
The attempt came just two months after Thomas Crooks shot Trump during a July 13, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear. Despite two assassination attempts, Trump went on to win the 2024 presidential election.
