A federal judge has pushed back the trial of Ryan Routh, a man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, to September 2025. Originally scheduled for February 10, 2025, the trial will now begin on September 8th, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled in an order released Monday. Routh, a 58-year-old Hawaii resident, has pleaded not guilty.
Routh’s defense team had requested a delay until at least December 2024, citing the need for more time to review extensive evidence. This included numerous electronic devices belonging to Routh (17 cell phones among them), along with hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance footage. They also indicated a potential insanity defense was under consideration.
Judge Cannon acknowledged the seriousness of the charges and the substantial amount of evidence, granting a delay to allow for thorough review. However, she deemed a December start date excessive, settling on September as a balance between providing adequate time for the defense and avoiding an unreasonable delay. The judge imposed deadlines for the defense to submit any insanity pleas or requests related to Routh’s mental competency (by early February) and for any planned visits to the scene of the attempted assassination (by the end of February).
Prosecutors allege Routh meticulously planned the attack for weeks, aiming a rifle at President-elect Trump as he played golf at his West Palm Beach country club on September 15, 2024. However, a Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. The agent opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee. Authorities later recovered a note detailing his intentions. Routh was apprehended shortly afterward on a nearby interstate.
Routh faces charges of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate (which carries a potential life sentence), assaulting a federal officer, and three firearms-related offenses. He is currently being held without bail at the federal jail in Miami. This incident occurred two months after a separate assassination attempt on Trump during a Pennsylvania campaign rally, in which he was wounded. While the Secret Service acknowledged security shortcomings in the Pennsylvania incident, they maintain security protocols effectively prevented the Florida attack.