FORT PIERCE, Florida – Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, to life in federal prison, plus a consecutive 84 months (seven years) on firearms-related counts, for the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and related violent offenses.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in the Southern District of Florida, after a federal jury convicted Routh on all five counts in the indictment.
The September 2024 incident
Federal prosecutors said Routh spent weeks preparing for the attack and tracked Trump’s movements before positioning himself near Trump’s Florida golf course in September 2024, where authorities say he was concealed in thick brush with a semi-automatic rifle. Investigators said a Secret Service agent spotted him and fired, prompting Routh to flee before he was later arrested.
Court’s view: premeditation and public risk
At sentencing, the court focused on the premeditated nature of the plot and the danger posed by the attempt, rejecting arguments aimed at reducing punishment. Reuters reported that Routh delivered a disjointed statement during the hearing.
What comes next
Routh’s legal team indicated he plans to appeal the conviction and sentence.
