Ryan Routh receives life sentence for plot to kill Donald Trump

Ryan Routh, the man convicted of an attempt to assassinate the now-United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump during his 2024 election campaign, has been sentenced to life in prison.

The U.S. Secret Service arrested Routh from Trump’s Florida golf course in September 2024. Reports indicate that the would-be Trump assassin was armed with a semi-automatic rifle and was allegedly waiting to shoot Trump at the time of his arrest.

Routh’s arrest marked the second assassination attempt on Trump during the 2024 campaign. Prior to Routh's arrest, Trump dodged several shots fired at him while speaking at an open-air event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Federal prosecutors urged the court to sentence him to life in prison, adding, “Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologizing for the lives he put at risk… and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law.”

Judge Aileen Cannon presided over the case and announced the sentence on February 4, 2026.

According to Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, when the defendant tried to portray himself as innocent, a do-gooder and a victim, the judge told him, “The evil is in you, Mr Routh. The evil is in you.”

The White House was not immediately available for comment. President Trump has also yet to offer a reaction to Routh’s sentence.