Florida Man Convicted for Attempting to Assassinate Trump

On Tuesday, Ryan Rouse was found guilty in Florida for attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The jury convicted him on five counts, which included a significant assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and several gun-related charges.

The incident occurred on September 15 of last year, when Secret Service agents discovered Rouse hiding in bushes at Trump’s West Palm Beach Golf Club, armed with a rifle. This was just two months after another individual had shot at Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania. After one of the agents fired a warning shot, Rouse attempted to flee but was apprehended later that day.

During the 12-day trial, prosecutors called over 38 witnesses, including FBI agents and various local law enforcement officials who were involved in the case. Interestingly, the trial commenced just two days before an assassination attempt on conservative speaker Charlie Kirk in Utah.

Rouse, who represented himself, even cross-examined witnesses and delivered his own opening and closing statements. However, Judge Eileen Cannon interrupted him shortly into his opening remarks when he began criticizing world leaders like Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it “inappropriate.”

Federal prosecutors described Rouse’s plot as “carefully planned” and serious, claiming he tracked Trump’s movements to prevent his re-election, visiting at least 17 golf courses in the process.

Part of the evidence included a handwritten letter Rouse left for a former employee, where he reportedly offered $150,000 to someone who could “finish” the assassination attempt. The letter stated, “Dear World, this was an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump, and I am very sorry that I failed to you. I did my best.”

Before the trial, Rouse had also challenged the notion of playing cards or having a “beatdown session” with Trump, suggesting that winning a golf match could possibly lead to him taking Trump’s job.

Rouse’s defense focused on his claims of peace and non-violence, arguing that he was incapable of carrying out such an act. He even called upon a firearms expert and two character witnesses to support his case.

Judge Cannon instructed the jury that Rouse’s actions as his own lawyer were “not evidence.” In a closing statement that lasted nearly an hour, Rouse insisted he had the opportunity to shoot Trump but never pulled the trigger, mentioning contexts like Ukraine and the Revolutionary War to illustrate his point. He argued that he poses no threat to anyone.