A man accused of plotting to kill former President Donald Trump is representing himself in federal court and says his defense will take only hours, not days, to complete. Ryan Routh intends to lean on three witnesses to support his claims as the trial nears its conclusion.
Prosecutors last week finished their case, presenting testimony from more than three dozen witnesses in an effort to secure a life sentence, wrote ABC News. The charges include attempting to harm a presidential candidate, threatening a federal protector, and multiple weapons violations. The accused has denied them all.
The government’s narrative focused on last fall, when authorities say the defendant staked out a Florida golf course where Trump was playing. A protective agent testified he spotted the suspect in the brush, aiming a rifle. The agent returned fire, knocking the weapon away and forcing the man to flee. A bystander later described seeing a figure running from the course and helped guide a helicopter search that led to the arrest along a nearby highway.
Routh, who had connections to recruiting forces for Ukraine in its war with Russia, told the judge on Friday that his side would be brief. He has suggested bringing in a ballistics expert and two acquaintances who might testify to his character. He has not said whether he will take the stand himself.
The judge allowed him to drop his court-appointed lawyers earlier this summer after he argued they didn’t share his approach and questioned his state of mind. The attorneys remain present in an advisory role. Supreme Court precedent guarantees a criminal defendant’s right to self-representation if deemed competent.
The case is on an accelerated track. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday, with each side allotted under two hours. Jurors could begin deliberating immediately afterward. What was expected to be a three-week proceeding has been shortened by the defendant’s brisk cross-examinations and pared-down witness list.
Routh’s stalking of Trump came only months after Trump survived a separate attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally, where a shooter’s bullet grazed his ear before Secret Service snipers killed the assailant.
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