From West Palm Beach ABC affiliate WPBF: Ryan Routh, the man who tried to kill President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September 2024, has been sentenced to life in prison, plus seven years.
Ryan Routh was found guilty of planning an attack at the Trump International Golf Club. According to court records, prosecutors say Routh watched the golf club for weeks, built a hidden sniper’s nest in the bushes, and even pushed a rifle through a fence, all steps they say show he intended to kill.
Routh, who represented himself at trial, asked the judge for leniency. He says the jury misunderstood his intent and points out that he never fired his gun. His attorney argues he needs mental health treatment instead of life in prison.
According to a separate report by ABC News, U.S. Judge Aileen Cannon delivered a scorching rebuke to Routh before announcing his sentence, saying he is an “evil man.”
Routh’s snipers nest was discovered when a Secret Service agent happened to see the barrel of a rifle among the bushes.
During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne had told jurors that Routh had “traveled on 17 separate occasions to scope out the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” excessively stalking Trump’s activities and location for weeks prior to his assassination attempt from a “sniper’s nest” on September 15, 2024 – just two months after Trump was shot in the ear by a different man at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Jurors had reached a guilty verdict in late September, but the sentencing wasn’t held until Wednesday, February 4.
🚨BREAKING: Ryan Wesley Routh, who was convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course has been sentenced to life in federal prison. pic.twitter.com/tPaBSAT6dd
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 4, 2026
🚨 BREAKING: Attempted President Trump assassin Ryan Routh sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON after a short deliberation
This guy is an animal.
Keep him locked away FOREVER. He’s frankly lucky he didn’t get capital punishment. pic.twitter.com/AoRZbWcye8
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 4, 2026
🚨 BREAKING: Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison, plus 7 years, for attempting to assassinate Trump at Florida golf course pic.twitter.com/TTGCLed0q4
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 4, 2026
A federal judge on Wednesday is set to decide whether a man convicted of attempting to assassinate President Trump on his Florida golf course in September 2024 deserves to spend the rest of his life in a federal prison.
Read more: https://t.co/qPK30FaZtg pic.twitter.com/1Rh3hV2yH7
— ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2026
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