Ryan Routh, the 59-year-old who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course, has received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed Routh's request for a reduced 27-year term at the Fort Pierce courtroom, delivering a scathing assessment of his actions.
She told the defendant: "Your plot to kill was deliberate and evil. You are not a peaceful man. You are not a good man."
The attempt on the President's life occured on September 15, 2024, at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach - when Mr Trump was then a presidential candidate just weeks from the election.
A Secret Service agent found Routh hiding in shrubbery a few hundred metres from where the President was playing golf, spotting him before Mr Trump came into view.
When discovered, Routh pointed his weapon towards the agent, who immediately opened fire.
The gunman abandoned his assault-style rifle and fled the scene without discharging his weapon, but was apprehended later that same day.
Evidence presented at trial revealed Routh had positioned himself in the undergrowth for close to 10 hours awaiting his opportunity.
A Secret Service agent detected Routh concealed in dense bushes close to where the President was playing golf
| REUTERSInvestigators recovered not only the semi-automatic rifle but also metal plates resembling body armour and a video camera that had been directed towards the golf course.
The would-be killing occurred merely two months after Mr Trump narrowly survived a separate assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors outlined how Routh had meticulously planned the attack over several months, demonstrating neither remorse nor regret for his actions.
He travelled to South Florida approximately a month before the incident, basing himself at a truck stop while monitoring Mr Trump's schedule and whereabouts.
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The gunman abandoned his assault-style rifle and fled the scene, but was apprehended later that same day
| REUTERS
Investigators recovered not only the semi-automatic rifle but also metal plates resembling body armour
|REUTERS
To evade detection, Routh employed six mobile phones and operated under assumed names, according to evidence presented during proceedings.
Assistant US attorney John Shipley characterised the scheme as "carefully crafted and deadly serious," emphasising that "without the Secret Service's intervention Donald Trump would not be alive."
Prosecutors argued the crimes "undeniably warrant a life sentence" given Routh's willingness to harm anyone who obstructed his plan.
"American democracy does not work when individuals take it into their own hands to eliminate candidates," Shipley told the court.
Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after his conviction
|REUTERS
Routh chose to represent himself during the trial despite having no legal training, only securing a lawyer, Martin Roth, for the sentencing hearing.
His conduct throughout proceedings proved erratic, including challenging Mr Trump to a golf match and requesting strippers be provided to him in custody.
Judge Cannon blocked numerous questions Routh wished to pose to potential jurors, deeming them irrelevant, including queries about the Gaza conflict and what they would do upon encountering a turtle in the road.
Following his conviction on five charges, including attempted assassination and illegal firearms possession, Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen and had to be restrained.
His daughter shouted that her father had harmed nobody and vowed to secure his release.
Mr Roth has confirmed he intends to appeal the sentence.
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