Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after he was found guilty on all charges related to his attempt to assassinate Donald Trump last year, according to reports from the scene.
Routh was apprehended by four U.S. marshals, handcuffed, and dragged from the courtroom while his children pleaded with him.
Routh’s daughter Sara cried, “Dad, don’t hurt yourself!” while his son Adam said “We love you, Dad!”
It marks a chaotic end to a wild two-week trial in which Routh attempted to act as his own defense attorney.
The 59-year-old brought a rifle and rounds to Donald Trump’s Florida golf course in September 2024 and camped in the bushes for nearly 24 hours before he was spotted by a secret service agent, who fired upon his sniper’s nest. Routh was also found guilty of assaulting that secret service agent.
Routh’s rather thin defense centered on the argument that his presence at Trump’s golf course with a gun was not enough to incriminate him in an assassination plot to kill the then-presidential candidate.
During the trial, Routh called character witnesses who would vouch for his peaceful behavior. One of the questions he asked witnesses involved whether they would agree to host a music festival overseas with him.
He also attempted to ask jurors what they would do if they saw a turtle on the road while they were driving.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon attempted to keep Routh in check during the trial, but she could not prevent Routh giving a rambling 42-minute closing argument to the jury in which he digressed into a wide range of topics, including Jan. 6, Ukraine, and Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense.”
Routh was a Trump supporter before plotting to kill the President. After Routh was caught, he wrote a note that plainly stated, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump.”
The guilty verdict was reached after a quick two-and-a-half hour deliberation by the jury. Routh faces life in prison.
In response to the verdict, Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “Today’s guilty verdict against would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.”
On Truth Social, President Trump congratulated Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche, and the DOJ team. “A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” the president wrote.
