A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, to life in prison plus an additional 84 months for his role in a 2024 attempted assassination of then-former president and GOP nominee Donald Trump, federal prosecutors said.
Routh was convicted by a federal jury in September 2025 on five felony counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer and multiple firearms offenses, in connection with the September 15, 2024, incident at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Prosecutors said Routh concealed himself with a rifle in shrubbery near the golf course and aimed at Trump and a Secret Service agent before agents intervened. He fled the scene and was later arrested nearby.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the maximum penalty for the attempted assassination and related charges, rejecting the defense’s request for a reduced term.
Cannon said Routh’s conduct “undeniably warrant[s] a life sentence.”
“He took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major Presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,” she wrote.
Attorneys for Routh have indicated they plan to appeal the sentence.
The Department of Justice said the sentence reflects the seriousness of attempting to kill a presidential candidate and is intended as a strong deterrent against political violence.
Lead federal prosecutor John Shipley said the government presented a “mountain of evidence” showing “how close he got to actually pulling this off.”
The incident in Florida was the second attempt on Trump’s life in 2024. In July, a gunman opened fire during a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in one death and several injuries, including Trump himself. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was killed at the scene by law enforcement.
The apparent threats to Trump have continued as president.
He rapidly boarded Air Force One using a smaller staircase in October due to “increased security measures” at Palm Beach International Airport, a White House official told Fox News at the time.
The enhanced precautions were implemented after the Secret Service discovered a suspected hunting stand on Friday near the airport that had a clear line of sight to the presidential aircraft during Trump’s arrivals and departures.
Fox News was the first to report the discovery of the possible sniper position. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident. FBI Director Kash Patel said an investigation was already underway, adding that the position had yet to be attributed to anyone.
“Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” Patel told Fox News Digital.
“No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene, and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities,” he added.
USSS Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi confirmed to Fox that the agency is “working closely” with the FBI and local law enforcement in Palm Beach County.
He added that agents discovered the alleged hunting stand during their “advance security preparations” prior to Trump’s arrival in Palm Beach.
“There was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location,” Guglielmi told Fox. “While we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures,” he said.
The investigation came just weeks after Routh was convicted of attempting to assassinate Trump. Prosecutors said Routh had set up a sniper’s nest in bushes along a fence line overlooking the course before being apprehended by Secret Service agents.
