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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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The criminal trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, opened on Thursday with heated exchanges as Routh, acting as his own attorney, launched into an erratic opening statement.
Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon quickly interrupted after Routh veered into topics ranging from human origins and westward expansion to global conflicts.
"This case means absolutely nothing," Routh told jurors before Cannon dismissed them from the courtroom. He insisted he wanted to speak about nonviolence, but Cannon had already warned him against turning the proceedings into "a mockery of the dignity of the courtroom."
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Why It Matters
Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. If convicted, he faces a maximum life sentence.
The trial comes just a day after right-wing activist and prominent Trump ally Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University—another flashpoint in a string of political violence in the U.S. Trump survived two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign before returning to the White House.
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What To Know
Until this week, Routh has appeared at hearings shackled at the wrists and ankles and dressed in a tan jail jumpsuit. But with jurors present, Routh has been unrestrained and dressed in a sport coat and tie.
Cannon has said that Routh will be allowed to address jurors and witnesses from a podium but will not have free rein of the courtroom.
During his speech, Routh criticized U.S. foreign policy on Russia and Ukraine, as well as the conflict in the Middle East, along with other political grievances before Cannon cut him off.
Both Routh and prosecutors had been given 40 minutes each to make opening statements, but Routh's initial argument, read from a written statement, lasted about 10 minutes before the judge said he had forfeited the right to continue because he was addressing unrelated matters.
"I gave you one more chance and you continued to read what has no relevance for this case," Cannon said.
A panel of 12 jurors and four alternates was sworn in Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. There are four white men, one Black man, six white women and one Black woman on the jury, and the alternates are two white men and two white women. The panel was selected from a pool of 180 potential jurors.
The trial begins nearly a year after prosecutors say a Secret Service agent thwarted his attempt to shoot the Republican presidential nominee.
Prosecutors have said Routh, 59, methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf at his Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach.
A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
These arguments were made again during the prosecution's opening statement, where Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told jurors that Routh wanted to make sure that Trump wasn't re-elected to the White House.
"This plot was carefully crafted and deadly serious," Shipley said.
The first witness to testify was former Secret Service agent Robert Fercano, who is now with the Department of Homeland Security. He was the agent to first spot Routh on the golf course.
Routh, who is representing himself, opened his cross-examination by asking him: "Isn't it good to be alive?"
How Many Assassination Attempts on Trump?
Just nine weeks before the events on Trump's golf course, on July 13, the then-presidential candidate survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania.
Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump's ear, before being shot by a Secret Service sniper.
Routh Political Affiliation: What We Know
Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses told The Associated Press.
In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a "weapon of mass destruction," which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch fuse.
What People Are Saying
Ryan Wesley Routh, in court on Thursday: "Modern trials seem to eliminate all that is human...What is in the heart and mind is all that matters...This case hangs on intent. What is in one's heart...This case means absolutely nothing. A life has been lived to the fullest."
Judge Aileen Cannon, in response to Routh: "You do not have an unlimited license to go forward to make a mockery of the dignity of this courtroom."
What Happens Next
The trial is expected to run two or three weeks.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Updated 9/11/25 at 5:00 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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