A federal jury today convicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, of Hawaii, for attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump when he was a major presidential candidate in a planned sniper attack at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“Today’s guilty verdict against would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This attempted assassination was not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself. I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones, his entire trial team, and our law enforcement partners for protecting President Trump and securing this important verdict.”
“This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people. I want to thank and congratulate the trial team and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work and dedication in bringing this case to justice.”
“Ryan Routh’s attempted assassination of President Trump was a disgusting act — mere weeks before an election and only months after a separate assassination attempt came dangerously close to succeeding,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “FBI teams worked quickly and diligently with local partners and the Department of Justice to demonstrate a clear fact pattern of Routh’s planning and intent, and we are grateful to see a quick resolution. The FBI will continue working aggressively to take violent offenders off American streets and protect public officials from threats of all nature.”
“There are few crimes more serious than attempting to assassinate a President or former President of the United States, for such an act strikes at the very heart of our Nation and our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The evidence was clear – a loaded rifle with its serial number obliterated, a backpack and gear found in the woods near Trump International, cellphone records placing the defendant at the scene, and a letter confessing intent – all pointing to a chilling attempt to assassinate then former-President Trump. Today’s jury verdict is a resounding rejection of political violence and a reminder of how perilously close we came to a tragedy of historic proportions.”
“Today’s jury verdict delivers justice. What Routh did was objectively evil — an attempt not only to take a life, but to rob Americans of their right to vote and to silence free speech. This was nothing less than an attempted assassination of both a man and the democratic voice he represented,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “We have seen over the past decade how political violence — from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to threats meant to silence conservative voices — has poisoned our public square. Such violence is un-American. It is an assault on every one of us, no matter our politics. The Southern District of Florida will relentlessly pursue those who try to steal our freedoms, and we will ensure that the rule of law — not fear, not violence — prevails.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano – who was patrolling one hole ahead of the president at the golf course – spotted Routh pointing an AK-style rifle at Special Agent Fercano from a sniper’s hide in the fence abutting the golf course. Agent Fercano, in fear for his life and the life of President Trump, opened fire at Routh, who fled. Law enforcement subsequently found a loaded SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope, a magazine containing an additional nineteen rounds of ammunition and the safety off, steel armor plates, and a camera attached to the fence pointing toward the sixth hole green of the golf course, where Routh had been hiding:
A witness saw Routh running across the road from the golf course and getting into a black Nissan Xterra. Based on information provided by the witness, Routh was later apprehended heading northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
A search of Routh’s Nissan Xterra found numerous mobile phones, and a list of flights out of the country in the afternoon and evening of Sept. 15, 2024 – the day of the attempted assassination – along with directions to Miami International Airport. Cell records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra showed that on multiple days and times from Aug. 18 to Sept. 15, Routh’s cell phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International and the President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago.
A witness testified at trial that he contacted law enforcement stating that Routh had dropped off a box at his residence in April after Routh made another trip to the area near the golf course. Included in the box was a handwritten letter from Routh addressed “Dear World,” which stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Routh was convicted of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment; assaulting a federal officer (the Secret Service Special Agent, Robert Fercano), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Martin County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with this case.
Senior Counsel John C. Shipley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne, National Security Section Chief Maria K. Medetis Long, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Luce for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys James Donnelly and John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department will continue to defend the democratic process, safeguard our leaders, and ensure accountability for political violence.
