Left: Donald Trump playing golf at Turnberry golf course during his visit to the UK in May 2023. 71992040 (Press Association via AP Images). Right: Ryan Routh speaks about what he was doing in Ukraine (Newsweek Romania).
Donald Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh, who was convicted of trying to shoot the president at one of his golf courses, "remains unrepentant" about his attempted sniper plot as the Justice Department pushes for a maximum life sentence to be handed down against him, according to federal prosecutors.
Routh, 59, says he "recognizes that he was found guilty" in a newly filed sentencing variance request but asserts that "the jury was misled by his inability to effectively confront witnesses, use exhibits or affirmatively introduce impeachment evidence designed to prove his lack of intent to cause injury to anyone." The DOJ reports in a Jan. 16 sentencing memo that Routh has "never apologized" and deserves to serve a maximum sentence of life in prison for his 2024 assassination attempt.
"The Constitution affords citizens many peaceful avenues to oppose or express strong dissent about a Presidential candidate — murder is not one of them," the government says. "Routh's crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence — he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major Presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims. His arguments for a downward variance from life imprisonment are wholly meritless."
Routh was charged with attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearm violations in connection with his assassination plot. He was accused of targeting Trump at a West Palm Beach golf course, with prosecutors alleging that he set up a sniper "hide."
"Cravenly, in cold blood, Routh attempted to kill President Trump, putting at risk of death also a brave Secret Service agent and potentially anyone in the line of fire," the government's sentencing memo reads. "There is no question about Routh's guilt on all five charges; the Court denied Routh's motion for judgment of acquittal during trial, and no such motion was filed thereafter."
Prosecutors say that it was "proved at trial" that Routh wanted to kill Trump in an attempt to "deny the American people" the option of voting for him in the November 2024 presidential election, "seeking to alter violently this country's future," the DOJ's memo says. They insist that Routh's criminal acts at the golf course "were not impromptu" and he had been planning to assassinate the president for months.
"The United States proved that in late March 2024, Routh traveled from North Carolina to the West Palm Beach area to pursue President Trump," the DOJ memo explains. "Routh set up his sniper hide in the predawn hours, in preparation for President Trump playing golf that day."
Routh's crimes, according to prosecutors, reflect "careful plotting, extensive premeditation, and a cowardly disregard for human life" that ultimately warrants a life sentence. Not showing remorse also plays a role in why he should die behind bars, the DOJ says.
"Routh remains unrepentant for his crimes, never apologized for the lives he put at risk and his life demonstrates near-total disregard for law," the memo concludes.
Routh, meanwhile, has asked for leniency due to his age and other factors.
"Defendant denies he acted with the intent to kill a presidential candidate," his filing says. "The defendant is two weeks short of being 60-years-old. A just punishment would provide a sentence long enough to impose sufficient but not excessive punishment, and to allow defendant to experience freedom again as opposed to dying in prison."
Routh, who represented himself at his trial, believes a term of 20 years — followed by a required seven-year mandatory sentence — would be "sufficient to meet the need for punishment, provide the defendant with correctional treatment and provide for mental health treatment in a custodial setting," according to his filing.
"Defendant would be in custody into his eighties and would not pose any threat to cause harm to the public," the filing says.
Routh's daughter came forward in September 2025 after his conviction and called out U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and the justice system about his trial, calling the case against him "bulls—" and blasting Cannon for being an "obviously biased" Trump appointee.
"She let Trump off on his charges last year," Sara Routh told Miami station WPLG.
"She should have recused herself from the beginning," Sara Routh said.
Sara Routh pointed to Cannon's dismissal of Trump's classified documents case last year as proof of the legal cards being stacked against her father. It's not the first time Cannon has been accused of demonstrating "bias," with similar accusations coming after the Mar-a-Lago case dismissal.
"Obviously biased, anybody knows that," Sara Routh lambasted.
It took jurors just two hours to find Routh guilty, according to reports.