“The weight of the charges necessitated additional preparation time”—Trial for Trump Assassination Attempt Delayed Until September 2025
Trump greets supporters during a campaign event at the Rocky Mount Event Center. (Image Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The trial for Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has been postponed until September 2025, a federal judge ruled earlier this week. The 58-year-old Hawaiian stands accused of multiple crimes, including attempted assassination, following an alleged attack on Trump in South Florida.
The trial, originally set for February 10, 2025, has now been rescheduled for September 8, 2025, after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon heard arguments from both the defense and the prosecution. Routh has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his defense team requested a delay until at least December 2025 to review the substantial evidence against him.
According to his attorneys, Routh possessed 17 cell phones, numerous electronic devices, and hundreds of hours of police body camera footage and surveillance videos that must be carefully examined. The defense argued that the sheer volume of evidence, particularly if an insanity defense is pursued, warrants additional time for review.
In response to the defense’s request for a delay, Judge Cannon acknowledged the seriousness of the charges but deemed a postponement until December 2025 excessive. She ruled that a September trial would allow for adequate preparation without causing “undue delay.”
Cannon also set deadlines for pretrial motions, instructing that any claims regarding Routh’s psychiatric competency or insanity should be filed by early February 2025. Furthermore, she required that Routh complete all visits to the alleged scenes of the assassination attempts by the end of February.
Prosecutors argue that Routh spent weeks planning the attack. On September 15, 2024, they allege, Routh aimed a rifle at Trump while he was golfing at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent reportedly spotted Routh before he could fire and was forced to shoot at him.
Routh allegedly aimed his rifle at the agent, who returned fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee. He was arrested shortly after, near the scene, and found to have left behind a note outlining his intentions.
Routh faces a possible life sentence if convicted of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, along with charges of assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearms violations. He is currently being held without bail at a federal detention facility in Miami. This incident follows a previous attack, where Trump was shot and wounded at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier in the year.
