FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump when he was running for president last year delivered the opening statement in his own trial Thursday.
Besides being charged with attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, Routh faces four other counts, including attempting to assault a federal officer.
He did so during jury selection, which began on Monday, but ran into trouble with Judge Cannon soon after he started his opening statement.
And she ended his opening statement early before he was finished.
Fercano agreed that it was and addressed Routh as the gunman he saw that day.
Fort Pierce, Florida. — The man who is accused of trying to kill Donald Trump during his presidential campaign last year made the opening statement at his own trial on Thursday.
A Secret Service agent claimed to have seen Ryan Routh carrying a rifle close to where Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach club in September 2024, leading to Routh’s arrest.
Routh is charged with four additional counts, including attempting to assault a federal officer, in addition to trying to kill a presidential candidate. He could be given a life sentence if found guilty of the attempted assassination charge. This is Routh’s not guilty plea.
When Routh was unhappy with his defense lawyers, U. S. He was granted permission to represent himself in court by District Judge Aileen Cannon. He did so when jury selection got underway on Monday, but shortly after he began his opening statement, he ran afoul of Judge Cannon.
He opened his remarks to the jury on Thursday by asking a number of ambiguous questions that had little to do with the incidents and offenses he is accused of. He inquired, “Why are we here?”. “Is it not to care for one another and to hold one another?”.
He was cautioned by Judge Cannon, who interrupted, saying, “What I have heard obviously goes beyond any relevant evidence in the case.”. She also cut off his opening remarks before he could finish.
According to federal prosecutor John Shipley’s opening statement, Routh wanted to make sure that voters couldn’t choose Donald Trump to be president in 2024. “The defendant made the decision to deny the American voters their choice,” he stated. The plot Routh is charged with, he said, “was carefully crafted and deadly serious. “,”.
When then-Presidential candidate Trump was playing golf at his West Palm Beach club on September 15 of last year, Robert Fercano, a former Secret Service agent who is currently employed by the Department of Homeland Security, testified about meeting a man he initially recognized as a “face in the bushes.”.
Fercano said, “I saw what looked like the face of a person (and) the barrel of a weapon sticking out from the fence line as I scanned the sixth hole of the golf course, ahead of where Trump was playing. “.
When Fercano first got off his golf cart, he said, “Hey sir!” He claimed that he initially believed he might be coming across a homeless person and that there was no immediate danger. “The subject smiled at me and I heard what sounded like a groan,” he replied. “,”.
Around the same time, Fercano reported to the jury that he backed away and saw a gun barrel sticking out from the fence line, moving toward him. Additionally, he claims to have observed ballistic “bulletproof vest” plates mounted on the fence. Fercano, a skilled marksman and former Marine, stated, “This seemed like a classic ambush situation. “.”.
Fercano named Routh as the shooter in the courtroom. He claimed to have recognized Routh’s “specific jawline and facial features” and to have been no more than five feet from the fence line where the shooter was standing. “.”.
“Isn’t it good to be alive?” was the first question Routh asked Fercano during his cross-examination. Fercano replied that it was, and he referred to Routh as the shooter he had witnessed that day. The former Secret Service agent said, “I don’t know your mindset,” in response to Routh’s question about why the shooter hadn’t fired on Fercano that day with his weapon. That day, I am aware that the gun barrel was aimed directly at my face. “.
