Ryan Wesley Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, may have a difficult time using an insanity defense, according to Florida State Attorney Dave Aronberg. Although Aronberg is not directly involved in the case, he believes Routh’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russia indicates a clear understanding of right and wrong—making it unlikely that an insanity plea would hold up in court.
“He fled after all, tried to get away and escape,” Aronberg noted, pointing to Routh’s actions following the alleged assassination attempt. “So that shows you that he knew the difference between right and wrong. What’s ironic about this guy is that he also understood that the Ukrainians were the good guys in their fight against the Russians – but to try to make his point, he was trying to do an evil act in attempting apparently to kill someone.”
Routh, who was arrested near Palm City, Florida, on September 15, 2024, is accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course. A U.S. Secret Service agent spotted a rifle barrel protruding through a fence at the Trump International Golf Club, leading to a quick response from law enforcement. When Routh fled the scene in his SUV, heading north on Interstate 95 toward his home in North Carolina, authorities pursued him based on eyewitness descriptions.
Investigators later recovered an SKS rifle, a digital video camera, and two bags from the scene—one containing food, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Routh’s apparent interest in geopolitical matters, particularly his strong stance on the Ukrainian conflict, further complicates an insanity defense. In a 2022 interview with Newsweek Romania, Routh made his views clear: “A lot of the other conflicts are gray, but this conflict is definitely black and white. This is about good versus evil. This is a storybook, you know, any movie we’ve ever watched, this is definitely evil against good.”
Aronberg reflected on Routh’s mindset, stating, “This is something where this guy has got a real disconnect in his value system. There’s a screw loose somewhere, it’s just [that] in my mind, not enough to sustain an insanity defense under the law.”
Routh faces federal firearm charges due to his possession of the SKS rifle, despite having multiple prior felony convictions and a defaced serial number on the weapon. FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Veltri noted that a tipster had previously reported Routh for allegedly possessing firearms illegally in Hawaii back in 2019, though that lead was never fully investigated by the FBI at the time.
In addition to the firearms charges, Routh could face additional counts, including aggravated assault for allegedly pointing a rifle at a Secret Service agent and making threats against a former president, Aronberg explained. Although federal attempted murder cases are uncommon, Aronberg mentioned that investigators may not have gathered all the necessary evidence yet.
This incident follows another assassination attempt on Trump’s life earlier this year. In July 2024, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking the former president in the ear and killing a bystander. The shooter was fatally shot by counter-snipers, but the incident prompted major investigations and a leadership overhaul within the Secret Service.
Trump is expected to hold his first rally since this second attempt on his life, speaking to voters in New York at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Local authorities are taking significant measures to ensure safety, with Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder assuring that attendees will “be in the safest place in the country.”