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Last week, prosecutors released a handwritten letter from Routh detailing his plan to kill Trump and expressing regret that he had failed to do so.
Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty on Monday to the attempted assassination of former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump (2017-2021) during a hearing in a federal court in southeastern Florida.
Routh, 58, who was denied bail, faces several charges, including the attempted assassination of Trump on September 15 on a golf course in Florida.
Last week, the Prosecutor’s Office released a handwritten letter from Routh detailing his plan to kill Trump and regretting not having succeeded.
Routh is also charged with two weapons-related offenses, including removing the serial number from a firearm and possession of a firearm while a convicted felon.
Audience
In the brief, three-minute hearing before Judge Bruce E. Reihart, the defendant was informed of the charges and possible maximum sentences.
If convicted of attempted murder, Routh, who requested a jury trial at the hearing, faces up to life in prison.
Routh could also face a state indictment. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has ordered an investigation into the incident for consideration of an indictment.
On the day of the shooting, Routh was spotted by the Secret Service, who discovered him armed with a semi-automatic rifle hiding behind bushes at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, which the billionaire owns, while he was with a group of friends one hole away.
Routh fled the scene without opening fire when an agent shot him after seeing his rifle sticking out through a fence, but the defendant left the gun with his fingerprints on it, according to prosecutors.
Thanks to a tip from an eyewitness, Routh was later stopped by local police while driving a vehicle northbound on Interstate 95.
FBI investigation
FBI agents later found a loaded rifle in the area with a scraped and illegible serial number, as well as a telescopic sight, a digital camera, a backpack and a bag.
Routh, who currently resides in Hawaii and has a criminal record in other states, wrote that he felt guilty for having elected a president “who ended up being stupid.”
“Violence against public officials endangers everything our country stands for and the Department of Justice will use every tool to hold Routh accountable” for the attempted assassination of Trump, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement last week.
Routh, who worked in the construction industry before the incident, is being held at the Federal Center in Miami while awaiting trial and is represented by a public defender from the Federal Public Defender’s Office. EFE
