Title: The Curious Case of Ryan Routh’s Attempted Assassination Trial The trial of Ryan Routh, charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump in 2024, has taken an interesting turn as the defendant decided to represent himself. After a week-long presentation by federal prosecutors detailing their case against him, Routh rested his own defense after only a few hours and calling three witnesses. The trial is being held at the U.S District Court in Fort Pierce, Florida, where Judge Aileen Cannon has been presiding over the proceedings. Despite not having any legal training, Routh pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him. His lead-off witness was Michael McClay, a former Marine sniper who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. McClay testified as an expert on gun tactics and positioning but was cautioned by the court to limit his testimony to these areas only. During cross-examination, Routh seemed to suggest that there may have been another attempt on Trump’s life while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach club on September 15th, 2024. One of the key pieces of evidence in this case is an SKS-style rifle found near the scene of the alleged assassination plot. Prosecutors claimed that investigators used acid to recover the gun’s obliterated serial numbers and argued that it malfunctioned when test-fired several months after Routh’s arrest, firing but jamming due to the effects of the acid treatment. The implications of this trial are significant as they could potentially shed light on any possible conspiracies or plots against former President Trump during his time in office. It also raises questions about self-representation in criminal trials and whether defendants should be allowed to represent themselves without proper legal training. In conclusion, the Ryan Routh assassination trial is shaping up to be a fascinating case with many unanswered questions. As more evidence comes to light, it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds and what impact it may have on future trials involving high-profile figures like former President Trump.
Source: [Original Article](https://www.npr.org/2025/09/22/nx-s1-5545944/ryan-routh-attempted-assassination-trump-rests-case)
#charged
Check out my AI projects on Hugging Face, join our community on Discord, and explore my services at GhostAI!
