E-Paper
Ryan Routh tries to stab himself with pen after guilty verdict; daughter screams: 'Dad don't...'
Trump’s would-be assassin Ryan Routh was found guilty in Florida; he attempted self-harm with a pen in court as his children pleaded with him to stop.
Donald Trump's would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, was pronounced guilty by a Florida court on Friday for his attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Routh was found pointing a gun at Trump at his golf course in Florida. But he was spotted by the Secret Service, and any potential harm to the president was averted.
As Routh was pronounced guilty on Friday, he tried to stab himself inside the courtroom with a pen, reports by NBC and Fox News say. His daughter, Sara, and his son, Adam, were at the courthouse watching the trial. When the Marshalls were restraining the Routh as he tried to stab himself on the neck with the pen, his daughter screamed.
"Dad, don't hurt yourself," she said. “Don't do anything. I'm going to get you out of here.”
Ryan Routh was found guilty of all three gun-related charges against him for the incident at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's resort-cum-residence in Florida's Pam Beach, on September 15, 2024. Additionally, he was also found guilty of assaulting a Secret Service agent.
The exchange with Routh's daughter happened as Routh's attempt to stab himself was spotted by the US Marshals. He was being restrained by them as he jostled with them. As he was being dragged out of the court, his children spoke to them. Routh then came back after a while to complete the proceedings, this time in handcuffs.
Routh's son, Adam, was also present at the trial. As Routh was being escorted out the second time, he also screamed out, “We love you dad.” Routh appeared to wink at his children as he was being led away by US Marshals, NBC reported.
According to the US Sun, Routh's daughter was "overwhelmed with emotions" and reportedly yelled expletives at the media crew as they tried to record her. "Get the f**k out of my face," she reportedly said, along with yelling "many more expletives before getting overwhelmed with emotions and running out of the courthouse" per the US Sun.
Routh had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Also read: Ryan Wesley Routh's political affiliation: Democrat or Republican?
Trump Reacts To Ryan Routh Verdict
President Donald Trump welcomed the guilty verdict against Ryan Routh with a Truth Social post. He called the verdict "A very big moment for JUSTICE IN AMERICA!"
"Congratulations to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the entire DOJ team on the conviction, in Florida, of the person who attempted an assassination on my life," Trump wrote.
"The trial was meticulously handled, and I would like to thank the Judge and Jury for their time, professionalism, and patience. This was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him."
