THE man accused of taking aim at President Donald Trump in a terrifying assassination attempt has already stoked tensions with a judge in the week leading up to his trial.
Ryan Routh was slapped on the wrist for submitting bizarre requests calling for an in-court “beatdown” of the president before his high-profile trial began on Monday.
APRyan Routh, a contractor from North Carolina, has been accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump[/caption]
APProsecutors say that Routh was caught pointing a rifle toward Trump as he played golf in Florida[/caption]
AFP or licensorsIn bizarre pre-trial filings, Routh requested to subpoena Trump[/caption]
Prosecutors say that Routh hid in the bushes and pointed a rifle at Trump while the presidential candidate was golfing at his West Palm Beach club in Florida, in September 2025.
He was allegedly stopped when a Secret Service member spotted the semi-automatic weapon peaking out and fired shots in his direction.
This came just weeks after a deranged shooter nicked Trump in the ear while spraying bullets at a rally in North Carolina in a close-call assassination attempt.
The 59-year-old building contractor has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has strangely fired his public defenders and opted to defend himself in court.
If Routh is found guilty of all charges, he could face life in prison.
But despite the severity of the punishment, pretrial filings appear to indicate that he’s not trying to make nice with Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the case.
Routh’s case took a turn when he asked to dismiss the federal public defenders assigned to him in July.
Cannon permitted his request, but asked the attorneys to stand by on the wings for potential guidance.
So far as he’s worked for himself, Routh has made several last-minute requests to bring a bizarre cast of characters to the stand as witnesses – including Trump himself.
In one shocking motion, Routh asked to subpoena “that baboon Donald J Trump” and wrote, “I think a beatdown session would be more fun and entertaining for everyone.”
He also suggested facing off in a golf match against the president, saying, “He wins he can execute me, I win I get his job.”
Cannon blasted the request as being nothing but “various insults and no pertinent facts” and promptly denied the request.
The suspect also requested several other witnesses, including a Yale professor who is an expert on fascism and some foreign students who have been detained by the Trump administration.
The judge is allowing Routh to bring some friends and family to the stand, but deemed most of the witnesses “untimely and insufficient.”
APRouth was a staunch supporter of Ukraine[/caption]
APOfficials investigated Trump’s private golf club after the incident[/caption]
APDetectives uncovered a rifle at the scene[/caption]
TRIAL EVIDENCE
Meanwhile, prosecutors are planning to bring various FBI agents and local law enforcement officials who were present at the scene.
They will discuss the Norinco SKS semiautomatic rifle that was found outside the golf course that day, as well as some glaring text messages that Routh sent his family, the New York Times reported.
In a hearing last year, prosecutors said that Routh was positioned in a “sniper’s nest” behind a chain link fence, and claimed he had a “clear line of fire.”
The suspect was caught driving away from the scene on the highway, and according to his text messages, he indicated that he was heading to Mexico, prosecutors say.
Routh is a building contractor from North Carolina who was living in Hawaii when he was arrested.
His social media presence showed a stark disdain for Trump and staunch support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
At one point online, Routh admitted to voting for the Republican president in 2016, but said that he regretted it, according to NPR.
Months after his arrest, cops allegedly uncovered a glaring note that the suspect had mailed to a friend in North Carolina.
The letter, which was uncovered from a package, read, “Dear World, This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”
Opening statements are set to begin on Thursday, and Routh’s trial is expected to last for around four weeks.
Ryan Routh’s letter
The Justice Department released a chilling letter from would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh about his plan to kill Donald Trump.
“Dear world,” the note began.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster.
“It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.
“Everyone across the globe from the youngest to the oldest know that Trump is unfit to be anything, much less a U.S. president.
“US presidents must at bare minimum embody the moral fabric that is America, and be kind, caring and selfless and always stand for humanity.
“Trump fails to understand any of [that],” the letter concluded.
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