A judge has sentenced Ryan Routh, who was convicted of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump two months before the 2024 United States presidential election, to life in prison.
The 59-year-old Routh was accused of concealing himself in bushes at a Florida golf course where Trump was playing, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, for nearly 10 hours before Secret Service agents discovered him.
“It’s clear to me that you engaged in a premeditated, calculated plot to take a human life,” US District Judge Cannon said in her ruling on Wednesday.
Routh, who acted as his own defence lawyer during the trial, had requested a 27-year prison sentence from the judge, a Trump appointee.
Prosecutors, who argued that his actions were intended to “upending American democracy”, urged the court to impose a life term.
The incident occurred on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, roughly two months after Trump survived a separate and more serious assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear.
Prosecutors said Routh travelled to South Florida about a month before the incident, staying at a truck stop while attempting to gather information about Trump’s movements and schedule.
During the sentencing hearing, a shackled Routh made a series of unusual statements, referring to overseas conflicts and expressing a desire to be exchanged for political prisoners held abroad.
“I have given every drop of who I am every day for the betterment of my community and this nation,” he said.
In a court filing, Routh denied that he intended to kill Trump and said he was willing to undergo psychological treatment while incarcerated.
