FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The man who represents himself in federal court for allegedly attempting to assassinate Donald Trump last year on a Florida golf course told the ju judge in his final discussion Tuesday that he had no intention of killing anyone that day.
“It’s hard for me to believe that a crime happened if the trigger never was pulled,” Ryan Rouse said. He pointed out that he is on the road to the greenery of 6th round on the golf course, so he can see the cards. And he also stated that he could shoot a secret service agent who would stand up to him if he was going to hurt someone.
Routh took the allotted 55 minutes of 1 hour and 45 minutes, but the prosecutor spent almost every time being evicted to the ju judge and was subject to deliberation lawsuit.
About two hours after these deliberations, the ju-decides asked to look at the rounds of guns, magazines and ammunition. The judge and lawyer discussed the best way for the ju apprentice to see the items to protect custody, and ultimately decided to return the ju apprentice to the court to see them.
US District Judge Irene Cannon had warned Ruth not to get off track when he made his closing remarks. She sent ju judges out of court twice on Tuesday morning, reminding him of the warning.
Prosecutors said that when Republicans played golf at West Palm Beach Country Club on September 15, 2024, Rous spent weeks plotting to kill Trump and plotted to kill Trump.
“There is no reasonable doubt, no doubt,” U.S. Attorney Advisor Christopher Brown told the ju judge on Tuesday. “If the evidence in this case shows one thing, then only one thing is that Ryan Wesley Rouse wanted Donald Trump to die.”
Routh, 59, admits that he has not committed any crimes in attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate and assaulting several firearm violations with federal officers.
During the final minutes of court on Monday, Cannon reminded Routh that his closing argument must be linked to evidence and testimony presented during the trial. She warned him that failing to follow these restrictions could lead to him losing time for his final discussion.
Routh exercised his constitutional rights to not testify in his own defense, and Cannon said that Routh could not use his final argument as an opportunity to testify without the possibility of a cross-test.
“This cannot be an opportunity to provide pseudo-recall outside the context of the testimony of the oath,” Cannon said.
Routh said he understood, but he also claimed he understood nearly two weeks ago when Cannon gave similar instructions to his opening statement. Cannon cut him off less than 10 minutes later, explaining that he ignored her warning and confiscated his right to continue when he left the topic to talk about the war with Adolf Hitler in Ukraine and Gaza.
Routh took his case to rest Monday morning after asking only three witnesses, a firearms expert and two character witnesses for about three hours in total. In contrast, prosecutors spent seven days questioning 38 witnesses.
Cannon signed off in response to Routh’s request to represent himself following two hearings in July. The U.S. Supreme Court held that a criminal defendant has the right to represent himself in court cases as long as he can demonstrate that the judge has the capacity to waive his right to be protected by his lawyer. Routh’s former defense attorney has served as a standby counsel ever since Routh took over his own defense and attended during the trial over the past two weeks.
Referring to what happened on the golf course, Secret Service agents testified earlier in the trial that he found Louth before Trump entered view. Routh aimed his rifle at his agent. The agent fired, and Routh dropped his weapon and ran away without firing a shot, the agent said.
Law enforcement received help from witnesses who testified that they saw someone fleeing the area after hearing gunshots. The witnesses later said they were flying on a police helicopter to the nearby interstate where Lous was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed that it was the person he saw.
Just nine weeks ago, Trump had survived his life’s attempts during a campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania. The gunman fired eight shots with one bullet grazing Trump’s ears. The gunman was later fatally shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Routh is a North Carolina construction worker and has recently moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Rous spoke to people who listened to dangerous and sometimes violent plans to insert themselves into conflicts around the world, an eyewitness told The Associated Press.
___
Social Platform Bluesky: Follow David Fischer on @dwfischer.bsky.social
