From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Man accused of trying to assassinate Trump denies he sought to kill
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FORT PIERCE, Florida — A man representing himself in federal court against charges of trying to assassinate Donald Trump last year at his Florida golf course tells jurors during his closing argument that he didn’t intend to kill anyone that day.
“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled,” Ryan Routh says. He points out that he could see Trump as he was on the path toward the sixth hole green at the golf course. And he notes that he could have also shot the Secret Service agent who confronted him if he had intended to harm anyone.
Routh takes 55 minutes of his allotted one hour and 45 minutes, while prosecutors take almost all of their time in closing remarks to the jury, which then receives the case for deliberations.
US District Judge Aileen Cannon had warned Routh not to go off track in making his closing remarks. She sent the jury out of the courtroom twice this morning to remind him of her warning.
Prosecutors have said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through shrubbery as the Republican played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.
“There’s no doubt, no reasonable doubt, no doubt whatsoever,” Assistant US Attorney Christopher Browne told the jury earlier today.
The Times of Israel Community.