Jury Selection Continues in Ryan Routh’s Assassination Attempt Trial

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Jury selection is ongoing in the trial of Ryan Routh, a 59-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in September 2024. The court aims to finalize a jury by Wednesday as the case draws significant national attention.

Selection started Monday, and the court is working through a pool of 180 prospective jurors. As of Tuesday’s session, more than 70 potential jurors had already been dismissed, many citing bias against Trump or concerns about impartiality.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is presiding over the proceedings. She has had contentious moments with Routh, who is representing himself and has raised controversial topics during jury questioning, such as the war in Gaza and hypothetical scenarios involving animals. Cannon labeled some of Routh’s questions as irrelevant to the trial.

Routh was arrested on September 15, 2024, after allegedly attempting to use a rifle to assassinate Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.

During selection, Routh’s actions and the potential jurors’ connections to Trump have created challenges. For instance, one potential juror was removed for stating he had shared a breakfast with Trump, while another was dismissed for expressing strong MAGA sentiments.

Opening statements are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 11, pending the seating of a full jury. The trial is expected to last several weeks.