Trump Assassination Attempt: Suspect Could Face Charges, Taoiseach Condemns ‘Shocking’ Attack, Journalists Recall Harrowing White House Dinner Incident

The trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024, began with jury selection on September 8, 2025, in federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Routh, 59, a resident of Hawaii and former Trump supporter, is charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple weapons violations related to the incident at Trump International Golf Club.

Federal prosecutors allege that Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump and concealed himself with a rifle near the sixth hole of the golf course on September 15, 2024, intending to shoot the former president while he was playing a round of golf.

A U.S. Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a rifle poking through a chain-link fence and opened fire, prompting Routh to drop his weapon and flee. He was later arrested approximately 41 miles from the golf course.

The incident was described by prosecutors as the second assassination attempt on Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign, following an earlier incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet while speaking at a rally; the shooter in that case was later killed by Secret Service agents.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to all charges. After becoming dissatisfied with his legal representation, he requested and was granted permission by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to represent himself at trial, with “standby counsel” appointed to assist him during proceedings.

Jury selection began on September 8, 2025, and opening statements in the trial commenced on September 11, 2025, during which Routh delivered his own opening address to the jury.

If convicted on the charge of attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, Routh faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Two individuals, Tina Brown Cooper and Ronnie Jay Oxendine, have previously pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges related to supplying the SKS rifle used in the alleged plot. Court documents indicate Cooper acted as a middleman between Oxendine, her employer at the time, and Routh to facilitate the sale of the weapon in August 2024.

Routh allegedly paid Oxendine $350 for the rifle and Cooper $100 for her role in arranging the transaction. The trio had prior professional connections through a roofing company in North Carolina where Oxendine and Cooper worked, and where Cooper had previously worked with Routh in the 1990s and early 2000s.