Trump assassination attempt trial begins as Ryan Routh represents himself, requests outrageous witnesses

Jury selection has begun for the trial of Ryan Routh, the man who was arrested for the alleged attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.

Routh, who is representing himself in the federal trial, is accused of attempting to shoot Trump while he played at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Jury selection that began Monday in Fort Pierce, Fla., is expected to last about three days.

The prosecution is being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and both prosecutors and Routh will be questioning prospective jurors directly.

“Acting as his own attorney, Routh wanted 24 witnesses, including professors, activists, and even President Trump himself. However, the judge denied most of these requests, deeming them irrelevant, cumulative, or absurd, such as one woman Routh claimed could testify about his ‘gentleness’ during a sexual encounter,” WPBF reported.

“That is clearly absurd,” U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon said in denying his request.

“Routh’s exhibit list includes items such as his Eagle Scout commendations, 3D models of a skate park he was involved with, and pictures of himself in the newspaper over the years,” the outlet added.

Three sets of 60 potential jurors will be questioned beginning Monday, and a final jury will consist of 12 people with four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Thursday, Sept. 11, with the trial expected to last two weeks.

The 59-year-old Routh has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime, assaulting a federal officer, possessing a firearm as a felon, and using a gun with a defaced serial number.

“Judge Cannon has opted to keep the jury anonymous and partially sequester them during the trial, with federal marshals picking up and dropping off the jurors from a confidential location daily,” ABC News reported.

Cannon, a Trump appointee, has warned Routh about any “vexatious, obstructionist, or obstreperous behavior” during the trial.

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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