FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, received a life sentence in federal prison plus an additional seven years on Monday for his attempt to assassinate President Donald J. Trump and for assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, according to U.S. officials. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon after Routh was found guilty on all five charges by a federal jury in September 2025.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the attack as “a direct assault against our entire democratic system,” stating that Routh “will never walk free again.” FBI Director Kash Patel condemned the plot as “despicable” and commended law enforcement for averting a potential national disaster.
Court evidence revealed that Routh took position near the Trump International Golf Club in Florida in August 2024, aiming what looked like an AK-47-style rifle at Trump from a concealed sniper’s hide along a fence line. Then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, who was patrolling ahead of the candidate, fired at Routh, causing him to flee.
Authorities found a Norinco SKS rifle with a loaded magazine, steel armor plates, and a camera aimed at the sixth green of the golf course. A civilian witness reported seeing Routh escape to a black Nissan Xterra, where he was later captured on I-95 by Martin County deputies with help from Palm Beach County law enforcement.
Cell phone records presented during the trial indicated that Routh had frequently visited areas near the golf course and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in the months leading up to the attack. Investigators also introduced a handwritten letter in which Routh confessed to the attempted assassination.
The prosecution stressed that Routh’s scheme posed a threat not only to the president but also to the integrity of the nation’s democratic process. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones underscored Fercano’s actions in averting what could have been “one of [the nation’s] darkest periods.”
Routh was convicted in September 2025 of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal officer, and multiple firearms violations. The sentence carries a life term for the attempted assassination, with an additional 84 months for related offenses.
