Ryan Routh, 59, did not testify at his trial, and represented himself

The Florida courtroom that had remained tense throughout Ryan Wesley Routh’s trial erupted in chaos on Tuesday afternoon, September 23, when the man convicted of trying to assassinate Donald Trump attempted to stab himself in the neck moments after hearing the jury’s decision.

Routh, 59, who had chosen to represent himself in the case, stood still as the jury foreman read the verdict: guilty on all counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, possessing firearms as a felon, and assaulting a federal officer.

The decision came after just two hours of deliberation. As the words “guilty” echoed through the chamber, Routh’s jaw clenched, his eyes darted toward the jury box, and then, in one swift motion, he pulled a pen from the table and jabbed it upward toward his neck.

Gasps filled the courtroom. Federal marshals lunged at him before he could inflict serious injury.

Wooden benches scraped loudly against the floor as family members and spectators jumped to their feet. The loudest cry came from his daughter, Sara Routh, who had sat through nearly every day of the trial.

“Dad, I love you! Don’t do anything! I’ll get you out!” she screamed, her voice breaking. “He didn’t hurt anybody!”

The marshals wrestled the defendant to the ground, dragging him from the courtroom as his daughter sobbed uncontrollably.

A few moments later, Routh reappeared, this time in shackles, escorted back into the courtroom for order to be restored. There was no visible blood on his shirt, though he appeared shaken, his face pale.

For jurors, the shocking outburst capped a case that had already been loaded with extraordinary drama. Routh was accused of attempting to assassinate Trump on September 15, 2024, at the former president’s Florida golf course.

Trump, then a presidential candidate, had been unharmed, though the incident rattled his campaign and security detail.

It was the second attempt on Trump’s life that summer, following a July incident in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a shooter opened fire at a rally, grazing his ear but failing to stop him.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors painted Routh as a man consumed with anger and plotting, citing weapons recovered with obliterated serial numbers and his actions on the day of the attempt.

They told jurors that his intent had been crystal clear: to kill a man running for the nation’s highest office.

Routh, however, offered a very different story when he addressed the jury in his closing argument. Wearing a dark suit that hung loosely on his frame, he leaned on the podium and spoke without notes.

“I did not intend to kill anyone that day,” he insisted. “I had no plan to take a life. I was angry, yes. I was frustrated with the system, yes. But I am not an assassin.”

His words were not enough. The prosecution reminded jurors that Routh had been a convicted felon found in possession of firearms and ammunition, and that his actions placed not only Trump but federal officers in danger.

“You can call it frustration. You can call it politics. But when a man with a gun goes after a candidate for president, that is attempted assassination. That is the law,” the prosecutor told the jury.

During the trial, Routh called only three witnesses: a firearms expert and two character witnesses. He declined to testify himself, leaving jurors to weigh his sparse defense against the government’s extensive evidence. In the end, their deliberations were brief.

The courtroom exchange turned even more charged after Routh’s failed attempt to harm himself.

His daughter’s cries lingered in the air as spectators whispered among themselves about the surreal scene. One woman who attended the trial shook her head and muttered, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Trump, who has often addressed legal developments concerning him or his rivals on his social media platform Truth Social, issued a statement shortly after the verdict.

“This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him,” he wrote. He went on to thank law enforcement officials and a civilian witness who had played a role in Routh’s capture.

“The wonderful person who spotted him running from the site of the crime and acted by following him, getting all information on car type and license plate to the Sheriff’s Office, IMMEDIATELY… what incredible instinct and foresight this person had. A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!”

That praise stood in stark contrast to the scene in the courtroom, where Routh’s supporters struggled to come to terms with the reality of his conviction. His daughter remained seated long after the proceedings ended, wiping tears as marshals led her father away.

Observers noted the symbolism of the day: a man who had tried to stop a presidential candidate now shackled, awaiting sentencing, while the candidate himself, now President Trump, continued to assert his political dominance.

Routh is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18. He faces decades in prison. When asked by the judge if he understood the sentencing date, Routh nodded but did not speak.

As the courtroom emptied, reporters attempted to question his defense witnesses, but most declined comment. One character witness who had testified on his behalf said quietly, “He lost control of his anger. But I never thought it would come to this.”

The story of Ryan Routh will likely remain one of the most shocking courtroom sagas tied to political violence in recent memory. His dramatic attempt to end his life after being found guilty underscored the gravity of both his actions and their consequences.

For Sara Routh, her words during the chaotic moment — “Dad, I love you. Don’t do anything” — may echo long after her father’s sentencing.

For Trump and his supporters, the verdict signaled what they described as vindication and proof that those who try to harm him will face the full weight of the justice system.

As the judge closed the proceedings, she told the courtroom in firm tones, “This trial is concluded. Sentencing will follow.” And with that, Ryan Wesley Routh was escorted out, leaving behind a courtroom filled with the echoes of shock, relief, and unresolved grief.