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)
This courtroom sketch shows Secret Service agent Robert Fercano holding up the weapon found in the bushes during opening statements 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)
This courtroom sketch shows lead government prosecutor John Shipley speaking during the opening statements of the during 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)
A pickup truck decorated in support of President Donald Trump sits parked outside the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse, after the start of jury selection in the trial of Ryan Routh, charged with trying to assassinate Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Fort Pierce, Fla.聽
A law enforcement officer from the Department of Homeland Security stands watch at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse as jury selection began in the trial of Ryan Routh, charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, in Fort Pierce, Fla
Man accused of trying to kill Trump says prosecutors haven’t proven assassination attempt
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 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.
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)
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 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 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.
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Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of , assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Routh argued Friday afternoon that prosecutors haven’t proven any attempt to assassinate Trump.
鈥淭hey maybe proved that someone was outside the (golf course) fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired,鈥 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.
鈥淭his is as far from peaceful assembly as you can get,鈥 Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley said.
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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鈥檛 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.
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.
鈥淗e was living at that truck stop and conducting physical and electronic surveillance and stalking the president, then-former President Trump,鈥 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 on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump鈥檚 ear. The gunman was then fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
