FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man who spent weeks stalking Donald Trump before aiming a sniper rifle through the shrubbery of a Florida golf course will never walk free again.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, to life in prison plus an additional seven years, bringing a definitive end to one of the most chilling chapters of the 2024 presidential campaign. The sentence followed Routh’s conviction last September on five federal counts, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.
“It is clear to me that you engaged in a premeditated, calculated plot to take a human life,” Judge Cannon told a shackled Routh. “Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil. You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man.”
The Sniper in the Shrubbery
The sentencing marks the final legal reckoning for the events of September 15, 2024. Prosecutors detailed how Routh, a former roofing contractor from North Carolina, traveled to Florida with a “military-grade” Norinco SKS rifle and spent a month conducting surveillance on the then-candidate’s movements.
He had built a “sniper’s nest” near the sixth green of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, complete with steel armor plates and a GoPro camera to record the killing. The plot was only thwarted when a Secret Service agent spotted Routh’s rifle barrel poking through the tree line and opened fire, forcing Routh to flee before he could pull the trigger.
The Evidence of Intent:
- The “Dear World” Letter: Investigators recovered a handwritten note from Routh that read: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
- The Bounty: In the same note, Routh offered $150,000 to anyone who could “finish the job.”
- The Arsenal: Along with the scoped rifle, Routh was found with multiple burner phones and stolen license plates used to mask his movements.
A Courtroom in Chaos
The sentencing hearing on Wednesday was nearly as erratic as Routh’s self-represented trial last fall. Routh, who had previously attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen when the guilty verdict was read in September, delivered a rambling, 20-minute statement to the court.
Dressed in beige prison scrubs, Routh ignored the facts of the case, instead lecturing the judge on foreign wars and his desire to be “exchanged” for political prisoners abroad. He lamented that “sadly, execution is not an option” for him, while simultaneously claiming he had lived a life dedicated to the “betterment of the nation.”
Judge Cannon eventually cut him off, noting that his remarks were “entirely irrelevant” to the gravity of his crimes.
The Political Fallout
The sentencing arrives as the now-President Trump continues to use the two 2024 attempts on his life—the Routh plot and the earlier shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania—as a cornerstone of his administration’s rhetoric on “political persecution” and national security.
In a post on Truth Social following the verdict, the President hailed the life sentence:
“This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him. Our Justice System has spoken! NO MORE POLITICAL VIOLENCE!”
| Charge | Sentence |
| Attempted Assassination | Life in Prison |
| Assault of a Federal Officer | Life (Concurrent) |
| Firearm in Furtherance of Violence | 84 Months (Consecutive) |
| Felon in Possession of Firearm | 15 Years (Concurrent) |
‘Unrepentant and Dangerous’
In their sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors led by Attorney General Pam Bondi argued that Routh’s lack of remorse made him a permanent threat to society. They noted that Routh had never apologized to the Secret Service agents whose lives he endangered or to the President himself.
“American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley told the court.
With the “Life Plus Seven” sentence, the federal government has sent its clearest message yet that the political violence which marred the 2024 election cycle will be met with the full, unyielding weight of the law. Routh will be transferred to a high-security federal facility to serve out his days—a “failed assassin” now relegated to a footnote of history.