Trial for would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh delayed until September 2025

Ryan Routh, the man who allegedly attempted to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump at his golf club in Florida during the 2024 campaign, will not face trial until September 8, 2025. The trial was initially scheduled to begin on February 10, 2025.

US District Judge Aileen Cannon issued the order this week, granting a delay after Routh’s attorneys requested more time to review evidence and decide whether to pursue an insanity defense. According to NBC News, the defense has been presented evidence including 17 cellphones, numerous electronic devices, and hundreds of hours of body camera footage and surveillance videos in an attempt to prove insanity.

Judge Cannon noted the seriousness of the case in her decision to delay the trial but did not want to wait until December 2025, as requested by the defense, as it would be excessive. She stated that the September date was not an “unreasonable delay.” Cannon also set a deadline of early February for the defense to decide whether to claim insanity as a defense regarding Routh’s mental competency.

In September Routh was seen aiming a rifle through shrubbery at Trump’s country club in West Palm Beach where the now-President-elect was hitting a round of golf. He has reportedly stayed in wait for hours until Trump showed up around 300-500 yards away. Secret Service agents spotted Routh before he could carry out any attack, prompting one agent to open fire at him. Routh dropped his weapon and fled the scene to his car where he was spotted by a civilian. The civilian was able to mark down the license plate number to turn it over to authorities who arrested Routh shortly afterward.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, which carries a potential life sentence. Routh has also been charged with assaulting a federal officer and three firearm-related counts. He is currently being held without bail at a federal jail in Miami.

In addition to being held behind bars as he awaits trial, Routh has penned several letters to different news outlets to explain his actions. In one letter sent to Politico, he said that Americans must “demand peace” in the Middle East conflict between Israel and Hamas. His name for the return address was written as “Trump Alleged Shooter.”