Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday where he pleaded not guilty to new charges. Through his public defenders, Routh denied five counts, including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and assault on a federal officer.
Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart accepted the plea and the defense team requested a jury trial for Routh. During the court proceedings, Routh stood at the lectern with his public defenders. He acknowledged his understanding of the charges when asked by Judge Reinhart.
Routh, who was shackled and dressed in a tan prison jumpsuit, appeared to gesture that he needed something to write on and noticed the court sketch artist in the room.
These new charges come in addition to the federal gun charges Routh faced in court the previous week. He had been previously charged with possessing a gun with a scratched-out number and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Routh was ordered to remain in custody by a federal judge following the initial charges.
Allegations suggest that Routh had been stalking Trump's Mar-a-Lago property and the former president’s golf course in West Palm Beach for weeks, with suspicions that he may have been planning to flee to Mexico. On September 15, Routh allegedly waited outside Trump International Golf Club with a rifle for about 12 hours while Trump was golfing. A Secret Service agent observed Routh pointing a rifle through a fence and fired at him. Routh fled the scene but was apprehended later that day.
