Prosecutors Near End of Case in Ryan Routh Trial for Alleged Trump Assassination Attempt

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Thursday in the federal trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024. Wednesday’s testimony focused on a gray storage box, a 12-page “Dear World” letter, and accounts from two longtime acquaintances.

FBI Special Agent Garett Foo testified about a gray box recovered in North Carolina containing phones, ammunition, an “improvised firing mechanism,” and Routh’s alleged handwritten letter. Per U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s ruling, jurors saw only the first three sentences of the letter, which included: “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump … I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”

Routh, representing himself, argued for the inclusion of the full letter, or at least three additional words, “shred his airplane,” to provide context. He told Judge Cannon the letter contained “nothing about a golf course” and emphasized his intent was to “ascertain the truth.” Cannon denied his request, limiting the evidence to the approved sentences.

Two brothers, Samuel and Lazaro Plata, also testified with the aid of Spanish-English interpreters. Samuel Plata said he found the gray box, which contained cartridges, pipes, four phones, and the letter, and alerted law enforcement. Lazaro Plata recalled three phrases from the letter: “Dear World,” “Donald Trump,” and “$150,000.” A text message from Routh to Lazaro, shown in court, read: “Ryan Routh here. Want to give you my son Oran’s number in case I die in the next 10 or 20 years, so you can reach him.”

Prosecutors plan to conclude their case Thursday, with the defense expected to present witnesses, including a firearms expert and character witnesses, starting Friday. It remains unclear whether Routh will testify on his own behalf.