On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon scheduled the trial of Ryan Wesley Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate 2024 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, to begin on November 18. The charges stem from an incident on September 18, when Routh allegedly tried to kill Trump while he was golfing in Florida.
Routh, 58, has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. A “Calendar Call” to confirm both sides are ready for trial is set for November 12 at 1:45 p.m., with all pretrial motions due by October 18, according to Newsweek.
Judge Cannon, who was assigned the case in late September, also presided over the Mar-a-Lago documents case against Trump brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith, which was dismissed in July.
Routh reportedly spent 12 hours camping near Trump International Golf Course on September 15, waiting for Trump. Prosecutors stated his plan was foiled when Secret Service agents noticed a rifle protruding through the fence and opened fire, leading to Routh’s arrest on I-95.
Routh has been denied bail due to being considered a flight risk. Prosecutors also revealed a letter allegedly written by Routh, offering $150,000 to anyone who could carry out the assassination attempt. “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you… I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job,” the letter read.