Admin I Wednesday, Sept 24, 2025
MIAMI, USA – A federal jury in Miami has today convicted Ryan Wesley Routh, a 59-year-old Hawaiian, for the attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump during a planned sniper attack in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The plot, described by officials as an “affront to our nation,” was thwarted when a quick-thinking Secret Service agent spotted Routh aiming an AK-style rifle at him from a hidden position near the Trump International Golf Club. The agent, Robert Fercano, fired at Routh, who then fled the scene.
A dramatic police pursuit followed, with Routh apprehended on a highway after witnesses spotted him getting into a black Nissan Xterra. A search of his vehicle uncovered multiple mobile phones and a list of flights out of the country, suggesting a pre-meditated escape plan.
Evidence presented at the trial included an SKS-style rifle with a scope and a camera attached to a fence, pointing directly at the sixth hole green of the golf course, where Mr. Trump was playing. Disturbingly, a handwritten letter from Routh addressed to “Dear World” was also found, in which he chillingly confessed: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the swift action of law enforcement, stating that the bureau “worked quickly and diligently” to demonstrate a clear pattern of Routh’s planning and intent. The verdict, he added, was a “quick resolution.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the verdict “illustrates the Department of Justice’s commitment to punishing those who engage in political violence.” She added that the attempted assassination was “not only an attack on our President, but an affront to our very nation itself.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed these sentiments, saying the verdict sends a “clear message” that an attack on a presidential candidate is an attack on the Republic.
He vowed that the Department of Justice would “relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, highlighted the gravity of the crime, calling it an act that “strikes at the very heart of our Nation and our democracy.”
Routh was convicted on multiple charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal judge will determine his sentence after considering all factors in the case.
