The man arrested in connection with a suspected plot to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was seen laughing and smiling as he appeared in federal court Tuesday morning for a pre-trial hearing.
Asked how his day was going, Ryan Routh, 58, said it was “lovely.”
The hearing, which regarded an AK-47 Routh was allegedly going to use to try to kill Trump at his Florida golf course, ended without a decision.
Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh was arrested for alleged attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sept. 15, 2024. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
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The defense and prosecution argued before U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon.
Routh’s defense attorneys are seeking their own independent analysis of whether the gun would have fired if Routh had pulled the trigger, and whether the distance of a bullet fired from the gun would have been sufficient to hit Trump. The defense believes that if the gun would not have fired, or if a bullet could not have hit Trump from the range at which it was fired, Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors cannot prove that Routh intended to kill Trump.
“If he knew there was no chance it could hit the target, that negates intent,” Routh’s public defenders, Kristy Militello and Renee Sihvola, argued.
The federal prosecutors say the gun successfully fired when it was tested at the scene, and also later when it was tested by an FBI expert in Quantico, Virginia. They say that testing is more than enough to prove Routh’s intent.
Law enforcement officials work the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 16, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
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However, the defense still has questions about the weapon’s range, and wants to have their own expert – someone with SWAT experience – test the gun.
The prosecutors said that is impossible because the weapon would have to be tested inside a federal facility by someone without access to such a facility.
The defense will have the opportunity to view all the evidence in the case next week during a visit to an FBI field office in Miramar, Florida.
The case stems from Sept. 15, when a Secret Service agent noticed the barrel of an AK-47 sticking out through a chain-link fence a few holes ahead of where Trump was playing at the Trump International Golf Club. The agent fired upon Routh, who abandoned the weapon and a GoPro camera and fled in an SUV, authorities said. He was captured shortly thereafter.
He later pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate.
Suspected would-be assassin Ryan Routh was arrested by law enforcement in Florida.
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In December, Routh was hit with an attempted felony murder charge stemming from the chaotic aftermath of his apprehension. Interstate 95 in Florida was closed due to the pursuit, which allegedly caused a car crash that injured a young girl.
Just last week, Routh was accused by federal prosecutors of attempting to obtain a rocket launcher from a Ukrainian contact as part of the alleged assassination plot.
Routh told his associate to “send me a rpg [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News.
The pair discussed Routh’s purchase options, with Routh allegedly inquiring if his associate could “ship it to me???” before explaining his intent for the military-grade weapons: “I need equipment so that Trump cannot get elected.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Routh’s attorneys.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
