🚨 GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS: Would-Be Trump Assassin’s Shocking Courtroom Meltdown After Conviction
EXCLUSIVE: “Dad, Don’t Hurt Yourself!” – Daughter’s Heartbreaking Scream as Ryan Routh Tries to Stab Himself With Pen in Dramatic Courtroom Scene
FORT PIERCE, Florida – September 24, 2025 — In one of the most shocking courtroom scenes in modern American legal history, Ryan Wesley Routh—the man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course—was found guilty on all five counts Tuesday before immediately attempting to stab himself in the neck with a pen as his daughter screamed in horror.
⚡ THE MOMENT JUSTICE WAS SERVED
After deliberating for less than three hours, the jury of five men and seven women delivered their unanimous verdict: GUILTY on every single charge, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. But what happened next sent shockwaves through the packed courtroom.
The dramatic scene unfolded in seconds:
- Routh grabbed a pen from his defense table
- Lunged at his own neck in a desperate self-harm attempt
- His daughter Sara screamed: “Dad, don’t hurt yourself!”
- Four armed U.S. Marshals swarmed him instantly
- Blood was expected, but the specially-designed courtroom pen only left bruises and marks
“We love you, Dad!” his son Adam cried out as marshals dragged the convicted would-be assassin from the courtroom in handcuffs.
🎯 THE “SNIPER’S NEST” THAT ALMOST CHANGED HISTORY
The evidence that convicted Routh was overwhelming and chilling. On September 15, 2024, this 59-year-old Hawaiian had transformed himself into something straight out of a political thriller:
What prosecutors proved beyond doubt:
- Weeks of surveillance at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach
- A meticulously planned “sniper’s nest” hidden in bushes near the 6th green
- An SKS rifle with obliterated serial number aimed at the Secret Service perimeter
- Burner phones tracking Trump’s movements and schedule
- Google searches for “Trump’s upcoming rallies” and “Palm Beach traffic cameras”
The terrifying timeline:
- 4 AM surveillance sessions lasting up to 16 hours
- Multiple reconnaissance trips using stolen license plates
- Final text messages to his three children just an hour before the planned attack
💥 “HEY SIR!” – The Hero Agent Who Stopped an Assassination
Secret Service Agent Robert Fercano became an American hero without even knowing it. His testimony sent chills through the courtroom:
12:30 PM, September 15, 2024:
- Fercano was conducting a routine security sweep ahead of Trump’s golf game
- “I encountered what appeared to be the face of an individual and the barrel of a weapon protruding from the fence line,” he testified
- At first, he thought it might be a homeless person
- “Hey sir!” he called out – words that likely saved Trump’s life
- Routh smiled at him and made a groaning sound
- The moment Routh realized he was spotted, he fled without firing a single shot
Trump was playing just one hole behind – completely unaware how close he came to death.
🔥 THE CONFESSION LETTER: “I FAILED YOU”
Perhaps the most damning evidence was a handwritten letter Routh left with a friend, addressed “Dear World”:
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
The letter, found in a box Routh dropped off in April, proved premeditation and clear intent – the two elements his defense desperately tried to deny.
🎭 ROUTH’S BIZARRE DEFENSE: “ONLY A DREAM, A FANTASY”
Representing himself in court, Routh delivered what prosecutors called one of the most delusional closing arguments in legal history:
His actual courtroom claims:
- “If the attempted assassination was not taken, it is not an attempt”
- “Mere planning of something is not intent… It is only a dream, a fantasy”
- “It’s hard for me to believe that a crime occurred if the trigger was never pulled”
- Judge Aileen Cannon interrupted him at least 10 times as he veered into irrelevant territory
Prosecutor John Shipley’s devastating rebuttal: “Nobody has to be shot” for attempted assassination. “The crime does not have to be ‘completed.'”
🌍 THE UKRAINE CONNECTION: From War Hero to Would-Be Assassin
Routh’s transformation from Ukrainian war supporter to Trump assassin reveals a disturbing psychological journey:
2016: Supported Trump for president
2022: Became passionate Ukraine advocate, appearing at rallies in Kyiv
2024: Blamed Trump for Ukraine’s struggles, deciding he had to die
The chilling contradiction: Routh fought for democracy in Ukraine while plotting to destroy it in America.
⚔️ THE WEAPONS CACHE: RPGs and Anti-Aircraft Plans
FBI investigations revealed Routh’s plot was even more sinister than initially believed:
What they found:
- 17 burner cellphones in his vehicle under the alias “John White”
- Stolen license plates for his escape route
- WhatsApp communications about fleeing to Mexico after the assassination
- Attempts to acquire RPGs and anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down Trump’s plane
“This was nothing less than an attempted assassination of both a man and the democratic voice he represented,” declared U.S. Attorney Jason Quiñones.
💔 THE FINAL MESSAGES: A Father’s Last Words
The most heartbreaking evidence came from Routh’s final text messages, sent just minutes before his planned attack:
12:55 PM to daughter Sarah: “Love you so much, you are the best daughter”
12:56 PM to son Adam: “You are so awesome dude, love you so much”
12:56 PM to son Orin: “Love you so much, man”
These weren’t suicide notes – they were the words of a man who expected to die in a shootout with Secret Service after killing Trump.
🏛️ TRUMP’S RESPONSE: “EVIL MAN WITH EVIL INTENTION”
President Trump’s reaction was swift and unforgiving:
“Congratulations to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the entire DOJ team on the conviction, in Florida, of the person who attempted an assassination on my life. This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi called it “an affront to our very nation itself,” while Deputy AG Todd Blanche declared: “An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen.”
⚖️ JUSTICE SERVED: Life Behind Bars
The verdict breakdown: ✅ Attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate – GUILTY
✅ Possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence – GUILTY
✅ Assaulting a federal officer – GUILTY
✅ Felon in possession of firearm and ammunition – GUILTY
✅ Possession of firearm with obliterated serial number – GUILTY
Maximum sentence: LIFE IN PRISON
Sentencing date: December 18, 2025
🔍 THE BIGGER PICTURE: Democracy Under Attack
This conviction comes exactly two months after Trump survived another assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks actually wounded Trump’s ear before being killed by a Secret Service sniper.
FBI Director Kash Patel made the stakes clear: “There are few crimes more serious than attempting to assassinate a President or former President of the United States, for such an act strikes at the very heart of our Nation and our democracy.”
🎬 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: The Reckoning
As Routh faces the rest of his life in prison, questions remain:
🔥 How did security fail TWICE in one year?
🔥 What role did political rhetoric play in radicalizing him?
🔥 Are there more potential assassins out there?
The chilling reality: In an era of unprecedented political polarization, Ryan Routh won’t be the last to try turning political disagreement into political violence.
One thing is certain: American democracy dodged not one, but two bullets in 2024. The question isn’t whether justice was served Tuesday – it’s whether we’ll be this lucky next time.
DEVELOPING: Sentencing scheduled for December 18… This story will continue to unfold as more details emerge about the most serious threat to a presidential candidate since the Kennedy assassination.
Sources: Department of Justice, FBI, CNN, NBC News, CBS News, NPR, ABC News – All quotes verified through federal court records and official statements