Trial of Ryan Rouse
A federal judge has been hearing significant testimony in the trial of Ryan Rouse, who is accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the West Palm Beach Golf Club in 2024.
Recently, Ronnie Jay Oxendine, a contractor from North Carolina, who was convicted on firearms charges, stated in court, “I have to come to this court and tell the truth,” as part of a plea agreement. He displayed his weapon and mentioned, “It was my rifle.”
Oxendine testified that Tina Cooper organized sales in a fenced parking lot near his office in August 2024.
“Ryan gave him $350 for the rifle and gave Tina $100,” he added. Oxendine noted that Rouse sought ammunition, claiming his son felt threatened by his roommate. Rouse allegedly told Oxendine, “I’m going to delete the serial number… so I won’t be back.”
Oxendine claimed to possess around 300 firearms and admitted that he was charged by the FBI with having a sawed-off shotgun, which could result in a fine of $250,000 or up to 10 years in prison.
During cross-examination, Rouse seemed to acknowledge his anger towards Oxendine when he said, “I am honored to meet you again… I know you are very angry with me.” At this point, Judge Eileen Cannon interjected, instructing Rouse to avoid further outbursts.
Additionally, FBI Task Force member Patrick Rantry discussed surveillance conducted at a truck stop in South Bay, Florida. Surprisingly, Routh, while chatting with an empty Viennese sausage can nearby, commented on the presence of bugs and wondered if there was leftover food for them.
Rantry agreed that it was possible, prompting Rous to remark on it being a nice gesture, though he noted that the food left was not cleaned up afterwards.
In another piece of evidence, an AT&T employee testified that Rouse had bought a prepaid phone under the alias “John White.” Rouse’s skepticism about the employee’s reliability was struck from the record by the judge.
As the trial progresses, prosecutors are expected to rest their case soon, while the defense is lining up witnesses to present on Friday. There’s speculation that Rouse might call firearms experts and character witnesses, though it remains uncertain whether he will testify himself.
