The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekdayYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USYour briefing on the latest headlines from across the USA man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign – weeks after the then-candidate had been wounded in the ear in a separate assassination attempt – has given his opening statement at his trial. Ryan Routh, 59, who is representing himself, allegedly tried to assassinate Trump on September 15, 2024 while the former-and-future president was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida.He is charged with attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; assaulting a federal officer; being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated number.Routh has pleaded not guilty. If convicted he could face life in prison.His trial for an alleged assassination attempt comes as the United States again confronts the specter of political violence following the murder of MAGA influencer and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at a college campus event in Utah on Wednesday.open image in galleryRyan Routh, left, is accused of trying to assassinate President Donald Trump (Lothar Speer)During the opening statement period of his trial in Fort Pierce, Florida on Thursday morning, Routh was twice cut off by the judge while he discussed prehistoric man, questioned the nature of “intent,” and invoked Russian president Vladimir Putin and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane quoted his colleague Dan Shepherd in the courtroom as calling Routh’s comments “rambling.”Judge Aileen Cannon shut down the opening statements and sent the jury out of the room, after which she reportedly warned Routh to stay on topic, according to CBS 12.When the jury returned, Routh reportedly continued his monologue, which caused Cannon to interrupt him again. She sent away the jury, told Routh he was in violation of her direct orders, and forfeited the rest of his time. He had spoken for about 10 minutes.The prosecution entered their opening arguments, painting Routh’s alleged plan to assassinate the president as “carefully crafted and dead serious.” According to prosecutors, Routh used 10 phones, three aliases, stolen license plates, and a string of deceptions to put him in a position where he could take a shot at Trump. Their witness list includes a Secret Service agent who they say saw Routh in bushes at Trump’s golf club, and a good Samaritan who reported seeing Routh running from the area. They painted Routh as predatory, claiming he stalked Trump to learn his schedule, even going so far as to watch the then-candidate from Palm Beach International Airport while he was preparing to leave on official flights. Prosecutors say he allegedly waited for hours with a rifle waiting to get a shot at Trump, although he did not actually open fire.Secret Service agent Robert Fercano, who says he saw Routh in the bushes at Trump’s golf club, was the first wtiness called to testify. He told the court that he came within five feet of Routh’s rifle before he realized that the man was armed. open image in galleryRouth has chosen to represent himself (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)”The barrel of the AK was pointed directly at my face,” Fercano said. “I was in fear for President Trump’s life.”Fercano said he was scouting ahead of Trump’s golf party to secure upcoming holes, and noted “abnormalities” near the sixth hole, according to ABC 6. “I encountered what appeared to be the face of an individual,” he said. “I attempted to initiate contact by being friendly with the individual, and said, ‘Hey.'”He said he then noticed an “object to the left of me beginning to move.” “I heard what sounded like a groan and the subject smiled at me,” Fercano said. “My initial thought was that this was potentially a homeless person camping out.”He said he then noted a black object protruding from the fence line. “Upon further scanning, I had identified the weapon to be a Soviet-style weapon,” he said. “I noticed the front sight post was facing me.”The Secret Service agent said the barrel of the rifle was “continuously moving in my direction,” which prompted him to pull his firearm out and point it towards the rifle. A recording of the frantic security calls made by Fercano were played for the court. “Mogul on five green,” Fercano says on the call, referencing Trump’s call sign. “Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired. Individual … with a gun.”open image in galleryLaw enforcement officials work at the scene of the Trump International Golf Club in the aftermath of the apparent assassination attempt (AP)In the recording, he describes the rifle as an “AK-style weapon.” “The individual is inside the tree line. All units be advised that looked like an AK-47 style weapon,” he says in the call. He recalled that at that point Routh fled the scene. Fercano said he then searched the area and found Routh’s rifle and body armor. The spot Routh allegedly chose for his sniper’s nest was a well-known sport used by paparazzi to photograph Trump while he’s golfing, according to The Daily Telegraph. After Fercano’s initial contact with Routh, Trump was escorted off the golf course by his Secret Service protection. Routh allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle, but a witness spotted him and took a photo of the vehicle’s license plate. Using the vehicle information collected from the witness, Martin County Sheriff’s Officials were able to stop Routh’s vehicle and force him out of the car at gun point. open image in galleryLaw enforcement officers arrest Routh after he allegedly fled from the bushes near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)At that point, Routh was detained as a person of interest. Seventeen mobile phones were reportedly found in his car, and a rifle with a removed serial number, a sniping scope, armor plated backpacks, and a plastic bag with food and a GoPro camera were found at his sniping perch. Routh was unarmed when he was arrested. After his arrest, investigators and reporters examined his social media presence, which suggested he was a disgruntled former Trump supporter who had begun to grow sympathetic to President Joe Biden. The alleged assassination attempt came weeks after Trump’s right ear was grazed by a sniper during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was shot dead. He had killed a member of Trump’s audience, firefighter Corey Comperatore. Trump’s reaction – raising his fist and shouting “fight, fight, fight” – became one of the most memorable images of the campaign.The jury in Routh’s trial, which was selected on Wednesday, includes five men and seven women with four alternates. All but two of the jurors are white.
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Trump’s ‘would-be assassin’ invokes prehistoric man, Putin and Hitler in ‘rambling’ trial opening: reports
