Jury Selection Underway in Ryan Rouse’s Trial for Assassination Attempt on Trump

The pool of potential jurors is shrinking in the high-profile case against Ryan Rouse, who is accused of trying to assassinate former President Donald Trump at the West Palm Beach Golf Club in September 2024.

On the second day of jury selection in Fort Pierce, Florida, U.S. District Judge Irene Cannon dismissed a woman who identified herself as a “Maga” supporter from serving on the jury, citing her statement as an indication of “self-declared bias.”

Judge Rejects Juror with Clear Bias

In addition to the dismissed juror, another candidate was also removed for stating that she would “just follow God’s law.” Interestingly, Cannon did not disqualify jurors who claimed prior knowledge of Trump, including one who mentioned having breakfast with him and First Lady Melania Trump 25 years ago.

Cannon noted that, despite the long gap since those encounters, such individuals could still fairly participate in the trial. Currently, three groups of 60 potential jurors are being evaluated, and the selection process is scheduled to continue through Wednesday. Rouse is representing himself in the trial.

Ultimately, the aim is to finalize 12 jurors and four alternates.

During the Monday session, Rouse’s inquiries to the potential jurors ranged from their opinions on the Gaza conflict to hypothetical questions about discovering a turtle in the road, reflecting his unorthodox approach.

Legal Experts Weigh In

Judge Cannon criticized the relevance of some questions posed to the jurors, labeling them as “political indictments” and insisting they were unrelated to the jury selection process.

Prosecutors claim that Rouse had been planning the assassination attempt for several weeks, detailing an incident on September 15, 2024, where he allegedly pointed a rifle at Trump while the former president was golfing. After being confronted by Secret Service agents, Rouse fled the scene, abandoning both his weapon and his vehicle, a Black Nissan Xterra, before being apprehended.

Charges Against Rouse

Rouse faces serious charges, including attempted assassination, promoting violent crime, and assaulting a federal officer. These accusations stem from an incident where he was allegedly found with firearms and ammunition, as well as possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. He also faces state charges related to terrorism and attempted murder. Having pleaded not guilty, Rouse has a history of felony convictions in North Carolina from 2002 and 2010.