By Patricia Mazzei
The individual charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump at one of his golf courses in Florida entered a not guilty plea on Monday during a brief session at federal court.
Ryan Routh, the accused, submitted his plea via his attorney. He only responded when U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart of the U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Florida, inquired if he comprehended the five accusations against him.
“Yes, your honor,” Routh replied, dressed in a beige jail outfit.
The most severe allegation involves attempting to assassinate a political candidate, which carries a potential life imprisonment sentence. Additionally, Routh is charged with assaulting a federal officer and three firearm-related offenses.
The court proceedings on Monday were under five minutes long. In a much longer hearing the previous week, prosecutors presented evidence indicating that Routh, a transient building contractor, had seemingly been monitoring the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach for approximately a month prior to his arrest.
On September 15, while Trump was on the fifth hole, a Secret Service agent, conducting an advance check, noticed a man’s face along with the muzzle of a semiautomatic rifle outside the fence close to the sixth hole. The agent shot at the man, who then escaped, as prosecutors reported, adding that the individual was later identified as Routh.
This marked the second known assassination attempt against Trump since July.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Routh had left a box at a friend’s residence in North Carolina months prior, which contained a note stating, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you.”
