Staff Reports
A federal jury in Fort Pierce on September 23, 2025 convicted Ryan Routh on all counts for his attempted assassination of Donald Trump, and the courtroom erupted into chaos when Routh tried to stab himself with a pen as the guilty verdicts were read. U.S. Marshals acted swiftly to prevent any injury, and the dramatic scene ought to remind Americans that political violence is not theatre — it is a real and present danger. Justice was delivered quickly and decisively, and the jurors did their duty in a case that threatened not just one man but the rule of law itself.
The plot played out almost a year earlier, on September 15, 2024, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, when a Secret Service agent spotted Routh hiding with an SKS-style rifle. Miraculously, no shots struck the former president that day thanks to alert agents and a civilian who helped identify the suspect, and Routh’s capture proved this was not a spur-of-the-moment lapse but a premeditated attempt. That kind of meticulous plotting — burner phones, surveillance, and a parked escape vehicle — is the profile of someone intent on political murder, and prosecutors built a forceful case around those facts.
Routh’s decision to represent himself and insist he had no intent because the trigger was never pulled was as absurd as it was dangerous; intent is shown by actions, not by whether a weapon was ultimately fired. Prosecutors called dozens of witnesses and presented clear evidence of preparation and motive, and the jury needed only hours to reach the right conclusion. Conservatives should applaud a justice system that can look past theatrics and deliver accountability, especially when the target is a sitting or former president.
The emotional outburst from Routh’s daughter as he was restrained — pleading for his life and calling the verdict unfair — was heartbreaking, but sympathy for a troubled man cannot trump public safety. The attempted self-harm in open court only reinforced how unstable and perilous this individual was, and it underlines why law-and-order conservatives insist on robust protection for public figures. The quick response by marshals and the professionalism of the Secret Service deserve our sincere gratitude.
Let there be no equivocation: political violence is the enemy of liberty and must be condemned by people of every party. Law-abiding Americans must stand united against the small minority who turn rage into attempted murder, and media and tech platforms should stop normalizing rhetoric that edges toward harm. If political debate turns into encouragement of violence, the entire system that allows peaceful change through ballots will be destroyed.
Routh now faces a possible life sentence when he is sentenced in December 2025, and that outcome should send a clear message — attempts to silence political opponents by killing them will be met with the full force of the law. Patriots who love this country should demand tougher consequences for political violence while also defending the freedoms that make our nation great. Support our institutions that protect leaders and citizens alike, and reject the chaos that seeks to tear America apart.
