Federal Jury Convicts Hawaii Man in Attempted Assassination of President Trump

Northeast Radio SD National News Flash

Northeast Radio SD News – West Palm Beach, FL - A federal jury has convicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, of Hawaii, for attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump in a planned sniper attack at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The verdict marks a decisive moment in a case that gripped national attention and underscored the growing threat of political violence.

According to trial evidence, Routh positioned himself in a sniper’s hide near the sixth hole of the golf course, armed with a loaded SKS-style rifle equipped with a scope and steel armor plates. U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, patrolling one hole ahead of the President, spotted Routh aiming an AK-style rifle and opened fire in defense. Routh fled the scene and was later apprehended on I-95 by Martin County and Palm Beach County deputies.

Investigators recovered a cache of incriminating evidence: multiple cell phones, a list of outbound flights from Miami International Airport, and a handwritten letter addressed “Dear World,” in which Routh confessed, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you.”

Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the verdict “an affront to our very nation itself,” praising the trial team and law enforcement for protecting President Trump and securing justice. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added, “No enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people.”

FBI Director Kash Patel described the act as “disgusting,” noting that it came just weeks before a national election and months after another assassination attempt. “The FBI will continue working aggressively to take violent offenders off American streets and protect public officials from threats of all nature,” Patel said.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg emphasized the gravity of the crime: “A loaded rifle with its serial number obliterated, cellphone records, and a letter confessing intent — all pointing to a chilling attempt to assassinate then former-President Trump.”

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida stated, “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.”

Routh was convicted on multiple federal charges, including:

·        Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate (maximum life sentence)

·        Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (maximum life sentence)

·        Assaulting a federal officer (maximum 20 years)

·        Felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition (maximum 15 years)

·        Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number (maximum 5 years)

A federal district court judge will determine sentencing at a later date.

The case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and local sheriff’s offices. Prosecution was led by Senior Counsel John C. Shipley, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne, and a team from the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

The Department of Justice reaffirmed its commitment to defending the democratic process and holding accountable those who perpetrate political violence.