Florida charges Trump assassination attempt suspect with attempted murder, terrorism
Would-be Trump assassin suspect Ryan Routh will now face state charges in Florida on top of the federal charges he has already pleaded not guilty to.
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier told “Fox & Friends” Thursday that his office secured a warrant and is charging Routh with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism in an alleged plot to kill President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course in September.
Uthmeier said the charges come after officials in Florida said they were previously stymied in their investigations by the Biden Justice Department, which claimed jurisdiction. That led to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signing an executive order days after the Sept. 15 incident, authorizing state agencies to pursue charges such as attempted murder, which could carry a life sentence.
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With the Justice Department and FBI now headed up by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director Kash Patel, respectively, Uthmeier said his office has gotten cooperation and the go-ahead to charge Routh.
“We want a justice system that is willing to pursue justice no matter what party is in charge and Joe Biden and the Democrats did everything they could to drag their feet and refuse to cooperate with the state of Florida,” Uthmeier said. “Under Attorney General Bondi and the Trump administration and our new FBI director [Patel], it’s been a breath of fresh air, very different. They’ve been transparent, cooperative.”
Uthmeier said that the state’s case will be carried out in collaboration with the federal government. He said federal officials have made their evidentiary folder available to his office and they plan to do the same. He also mentioned that more evidence about the case will become public very shortly.
The new charges come just days after federal prosecutors revealed Routh sought to obtain military-grade weapons – including a rocket launcher – from a Ukrainian contact as part of his alleged assassination plot.
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Routh told his associate to “send me a rpg [rocket-propelled grenade] or stinger, and I will see what we can do… [Trump] is not good for Ukraine,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News.
Routh pleaded not guilty in September to federal charges of the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
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Routh is accused of carrying out what federal prosecutors describe as the final stage of an attempted assassination plot against Trump.
In the pre-dawn hours of Sept. 15, prosecutors say Routh set up a sniper hideout near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. Armed with a military-grade SKS rifle that he had obtained illegally, Routh is accused of positioning himself in anticipation of Trump’s arrival to play golf.
However, before Trump came into range, Routh was spotted by Secret Service agents. When they confronted him, the agents opened fire and Routh fled the scene, abandoning his rifle, officials said.
During his attempted escape, he carried a written escape plan, multiple burner phones, fake IDs and stolen license plates, according to authorities. He was later arrested in Martin County the same day.
On Monday, Routh’s defense submitted court filings, including a 13-page motion alleging that law enforcement used “impermissibly suggestive” tactics when interviewing an eyewitness identified as T.C.M. They claim the witness felt pressured to identify Routh because of the intense atmosphere created by the presence of multiple law enforcement agencies.
Routh’s trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 8, 2025.
In December, former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody charged Routh with another felony attempted murder charge, with prosecutors arguing he was responsible for an accident that almost killed a young girl when police shut down traffic after he fled.
Fox News’ Danamarie McNicholl and David Lewkowict contributed to this report.