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By Peter Aitken and Hannah Parry
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The judge presiding over the case of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, has released a letter that the suspect sent to the court.
Why It Matters
Trump visited Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, as a routine stop in a battleground state to drum up support on a Saturday afternoon when Thomas Crooks opened fire on the presidential nominee, killing one person and wounding two others before a Secret Service sniper killed him.
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Then on September 15, 2024, as Trump was golfing in West Palm Beach, Florida, a Secret Service agent, authorities said, saw Routh's rifle protruding through the golf course fence and opened fire. Routh, 59, dropped his weapon and fled without firing, and was later arrested in a neighboring county, according to police.
A federal grand jury indicted Routh on several charges, including attempted assassination and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He also faces state charges of attempted first-degree murder and terrorism.
What To Know
In the letter, Routh announced he was firing his public defenders and would be representing himself moving forward.
"It was ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger who knows nothing of who I am, to speak for me," Routh wrote in June 29 letter to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
Routh earlier this week filed a motion to terminate his defense team, in a hearing that would be conducted on camera and under seal to preserve attorney-client privileged information.
Prosecutors last year said that Routh kept a handwritten list of dates and venues where Trump was expected to appear, and that he also wrote a plan to kill Trump several months before his arrest.
The plan referred to his actions as a "failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump" and offered $150,000 to anyone who could "finish the job," then delivered the note to an unidentified civilian who turned the note over to the Department of Justice (DOJ), authorities said.
Routh also attempted to acquire a rocket launcher from Ukraine in August, according to the DOJ, using an encrypted messaging app to communicate with someone he believed to be a Ukrainian contact with access to military-grade weapons.
What People Are Saying
Trump said during a livestream on X, formerly Twitter, after the incident: "I was playing golf with some of my friends. It was on a Sunday morning and very peaceful, very beautiful weather. Everything was beautiful. It's a nice place to be. And all of a sudden we heard shots being fired in the air. And I guess, probably four or five, and it sounded like bullets. But what do I know about that? But Secret Service knew immediately it was bullets, and they grabbed me."
What Happens Next
Routh's trial is set for September, and if convicted, he could face life in prison, according to the DOJ.
Update 7/11/25, 5:58 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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