US prosecutors seek life sentence for man who tried to assassinate Trump in Florida

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Guardian staff and agenciesFebruary 4, 2026 at 02:06 PM

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medium article 2 min

Federal prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Ryan Routh, who was convicted of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course in September 2024. Routh aimed a rifle at a Secret Service agent protecting Trump, but was apprehended after the agent fired at him. The sentencing hearing is scheduled before Judge Aileen Cannon in Fort Pierce. Prosecutors argue that Routh has shown no remorse and deserves a life sentence, while his defense attorney requests a 20-year prison term in addition to a mandatory seven-year sentence for a gun conviction, arguing that a life sentence would be excessive given Routh's age. The article also mentions a separate attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania nine weeks earlier.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Butler 30% Associated Press 30% Thomas Crooks ×240% Fort Pierce 40% West Palm Beach 40% Martin L Roth ×250% Secret Service ×260% Aileen Cannon ×260% Florida 60% United States 70% Donald Trump ×690% Ryan Routh ×1095%

Keywords

assassination attempt 100% life sentence 80% donald trump 70% ryan routh 70% federal prosecutors 60% secret service 50% sentencing guidelines 50% firearm charges 50% aileen cannon 40%

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Negative

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The Guardian - World News

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90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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assassination attempt life sentence donald trump ryan routh federal prosecutors secret service sentencing guidelines firearm charges aileen cannon

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