A federal judge in South Florida ruled this week that the trial for a man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump will be delayed until September 2025.
Ryan Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident, had his trial date pushed back from February 10, 2025, to September 8, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon. Routh has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Routh’s defense team requested the trial be postponed until at least December, citing the need for additional time to review the extensive evidence against him and consider mounting an insanity defense. They highlighted the substantial amount of evidence, including 17 cellphones, numerous electronic devices, and extensive police body camera and surveillance footage provided to the defense.
Judge Cannon acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations but determined that delaying the trial until December would be excessive. She opted for a September trial start date, deeming it a reasonable timeframe.
The judge set deadlines for any insanity defense or mental competency evaluations to be submitted by early February, with any visits to the scene of the assassination attempt required to be completed by the end of February.
Prosecutors allege that Routh meticulously planned the assassination attempt on Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the President-elect played golf at his West Palm Beach country club on September 15, 2024. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before he could act, prompting the agent to open fire. Routh dropped his weapon and fled without firing a shot, leaving behind a note detailing his intentions. He was apprehended shortly after while driving on a nearby interstate.
Routh faces charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a potential life sentence upon conviction, as well as charges of assaulting a federal officer and three firearms offenses. He is currently being held without bail at the federal jail in Miami.
The incident occurred two months after Trump was shot and wounded during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. While the Secret Service acknowledged lapses in security leading up to the Pennsylvania shooting, they stated that security protocols were effective in preventing the potential attack in Florida.
