US judge stops meandering trial argument from man accused of trying to kill Trump

FORT PIERCE, Florida - The criminal trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate US President Donald Trump got off to a contentious start on Sept 11, as a federal judge cut off a meandering opening statement from defendant Ryan Routh.

Routh is representing himself

in a proceeding set to showcase the increasing prominence of political violence in the United States.

Florida-based US District Judge Aileen Cannon stopped Routh’s presentation to a jury after only a few minutes after Routh delved into topics including the origin of the human species, the settlement of the American West, and international conflicts.

“This case means absolutely nothing,” Routh said, prompting Judge Cannon to send the jury out of the courtroom.

Routh told the judge he wanted to speak about non-violence.

Judge Cannon had earlier warned Routh that she had limited patience for an argument that would “make a mockery of the dignity of the courtroom.”

Routh, 59, has

pleaded not guilty

to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The trial began the day after

right-wing activist and influential Trump ally Charlie Kirk was shot and killed

during an event at Utah Valley University, marking the latest instance of political violence in the US.

Mr Trump faced two assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign that sent him back to the White House.

US prosecutors allege Routh hid with a rifle near the sixth hole green at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, intending to kill Mr Trump as he played golf on Sept 15, 2024.

“Last year, the defendant Ryan Routh wanted to make sure that the people of this country could not elect Donald Trump as president of the United States,” prosecutor John Shipley said, during his opening statement.

“So, the defendant decided to take the choice away from American voters.”

Spotted shooter

Mr Shipley alleged Routh planned for weeks to kill Mr Trump, travelling from his home in Hawaii to his native North Carolina and eventually to West Palm Beach in a family car with six cellphones and stolen licence plates.

He stayed at a truck stop for about a month, tracking Mr Trump’s movements and visiting the golf course about 17 times, Mr Shipley told the jury.

Mr Robert Fercano, a special agent with the US Secret Service, testified that he was patrolling on a golf cart ahead of Mr Trump on the day of the incident and spotted a face and a rifle pointing at him through a fence.

Mr Fercano said he fired in the direction of the weapon, which prosecutors allege prompted Routh to flee.

During cross-examination, Mr Fercano confronted Routh about the episode.

“Mentally, I have to live with the fact that you pointed a gun at my face,” Mr Fercano testified.

The incident came about two months after Mr Trump was

wounded in the ear

following a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. That gunman was shot dead at the scene.

Routh, who had lived an erratic life as a struggling roofing contractor, had advocated for democracy in Taiwan and Ukraine and was interviewed in 2023 about a quixotic plan to deploy Afghan refugees to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion of its neighbour.

In July, he told Judge Cannon he did not trust a “random stranger” to speak for him and would defend himself. His two former public defenders are serving as standby lawyers to assist with logistical issues.

Reuters investigations have found that the US is in the midst of the most sustained increase in political violence since the 1970s, a trend that began during Mr Trump’s first presidential run in 2016.

Other high-profile episodes include the shooting of Mr Steve Scalise, a senior Republican member of the House of Representatives, at a congressional baseball game in 2017 and

the Jan 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol

by Trump supporters.

Democrats have also been recent targets of political violence. In April,

an arsonist broke into Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s residence

and set it on fire while the family was inside. In June,

a gunman posing as a police officer

in Minnesota murdered state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband and shot state Senator John Hoffman and his wife.

The Routh trial begins as Mr Trump puts his stamp on the US Justice Department, which is prosecuting the case, firing officials deemed insufficiently loyal.

In a twist of fate, it is happening at the same courthouse and in front of the same judge where Mr Trump faced criminal charges accusing him of

illegally holding onto classified documents

following his first term. Judge Cannon, whom Mr Trump nominated in 2020, dismissed that case before it reached a trial. REUTERS