Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year, rested his case on Monday without taking the witness stand. Representing himself, Routh concluded his defense after questioning a firearms expert and two character witnesses.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon asked whether he wished to testify, to which Routh replied, "I will not testify." Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning, followed by jury deliberations.
Prosecutors allege that Routh spent weeks plotting the attack before aiming a rifle from behind shrubbery at Trump on September 15, 2024, at the Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent testified he spotted Routh before Trump came into view, prompting the agent to open fire and forcing Routh to drop his weapon and flee.
On Monday, firearms expert and former US Marines sniper Michael McClay testified that Routh’s hiding spot provided "observation of the Hole 6 green." He confirmed the rifle worked during testing but noted the second round jammed, raising doubts about its ability to fire multiple shots. He also said the scope recovered from the scene was improperly mounted.
The two character witnesses described Routh as a peaceful man, though both admitted under cross-examination they had not seen him in years.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms violations. Prosecutors rested their case Friday after presenting testimony from 38 witnesses over seven days.
Judge Cannon had initially set aside three weeks for the trial, but Routh’s short cross-examinations and limited defense presentation have sped up proceedings.
The Florida case comes weeks after Trump survived an earlier assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s ear before being killed by Secret Service.
Routh, a former North Carolina construction worker who later moved to Hawaii, has a history of brushes with law enforcement. He previously faced charges for weapons possession, stolen property, and attempts to recruit fighters for conflicts overseas. He has also pleaded not guilty to separate state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
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