Judge Warns Trump Suspect as He Prepares to Act as Own Lawyer

Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump last year, will represent himself when his federal trial begins next week in Fort Pierce, Florida.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon granted Routh’s request in July to act as his own attorney, though court-appointed lawyers will remain as standby counsel. Cannon reminded him on Tuesday that security would remain tight in the courtroom.

“If you make any sudden movements, marshals will take decisive and quick action to respond,” she warned.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday and is expected to last three days. Lawyers will question three panels of 60 prospective jurors each, with the goal of seating 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are planned for Sept. 11, with prosecutors expected to present their case immediately afterward. The trial is scheduled to run for up to four weeks, though attorneys have said it may conclude sooner.

The proceedings come nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent prevented Routh from carrying out a shooting at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15, 2024. Prosecutors allege Routh, 59, spent weeks planning to kill Trump before hiding in shrubbery with a rifle as the former president played golf. A Secret Service agent spotted him and exchanged fire; Routh dropped his weapon and fled before being captured.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations. He also faces state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.

Originally from North Carolina, Routh has a history of legal trouble and erratic behavior. Witnesses have described him as a self-styled mercenary leader who tried to insert himself into conflicts abroad. At the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Routh attempted to recruit fighters from Afghanistan, Moldova, and Taiwan to battle Russian forces. In Greensboro, N.C., he was arrested in 2002 for barricading himself during a traffic stop while armed with an automatic weapon and an explosive device labeled as a “weapon of mass destruction.”

He avoided prison in that case, receiving probation. In 2010, police searching a warehouse linked to him discovered more than 100 stolen goods, including kayaks and spa tubs, but he again received a suspended sentence.

In the lead-up to his trial, Routh has filed unconventional motions that have drawn attention for their tone and requests. On Sept. 2, he submitted a typewritten motion objecting to what he said was the prosecution’s late introduction of new evidence. He characterized the timing as “absurd” and offered a trade: he would accept the evidence if allowed to subpoena Trump as a witness.

“If you would like to trade admitting the evidence for my subpoena of that baboon Donald J. Trump, bring that idiot on; it is a deal,” Routh wrote.

If the court denied that arrangement, he demanded access to other individuals he listed on recent subpoenas, and suggested a physical confrontation with the former president would be “more fun and entertaining for everyone.” In one passage, he wrote: “Give me shackles and cuffs and let the old fat man give it his worst. We must beat down crime in America. Carpet is red, isn’t it, no harm in blood.”

The same motion included a series of unusual requests for his accommodations during trial, including being housed in a “quiet room” with access to documents, a typewriter, email, visitation, “female strippers,” and “a putting green so I can work on my putting (a golf joke).”

He even suggested a golf match with Trump to decide his fate: “A round of golf with the racist pig, he wins he can execute me, I win I get his job.”

Judge Cannon has not ruled on those requests but has already made clear that Routh will be allowed to proceed pro se under close supervision. His standby attorneys remain assigned to intervene if necessary to keep proceedings on track.

The case is expected to draw national attention, not only because of the allegations but also because of Routh’s decision to represent himself and his history of combative courtroom filings.