Ryan Routh questions the first witnesses while his criminal affair approaches his last step

Ryan Routh, the man accused of having tried to assassinate the candidate of the time, Donald Trump, during his Florida golf course last year, said that he would not take the position in his own criminal case on Monday – the strongest sign to date that the defense is preparing to rest his case and launch the trial in his final phase before the deliberation of the jury.

Routh, 59, was represented in the federal criminal trial. He pleaded not guilty of having tried to assassinate a major presidential candidate, to attack a federal officer and possession of a firearm, among other crimes. If he is found guilty, he could risk in life to life.

He previously launched the possibility that he could testify on his own name-a risky strategy that would have given up his protections from the fifth amendment against self-incrimination, and opened him to the counter-examination by federal prosecutors.

US district judge Aileen Cannon asked Routh on Monday morning if he had had enough time to consider his decision not to testify, and if he wanted to consult the watch lawyer. He said he was sure. The prosecutors then asked for lunch time to decide if they would call refutation witnesses.

If none is called, the defense should rest within a few hours, by opening the way to the closure of the arguments and deliberations of the jury.

The Trump trial continues with more testimony to the FBI after the rifle called “prepared to shoot”

A sketch representing legal proceedings during the trial of Ryan Routh in Fort Pierce, Florida, September 15, 2025. Ryan Routh is accused of an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024. (Lothar Speer)

Roulth opened his defense on Monday with testimonies from Michael McClay, a specialist in firearms and his only expert witness; Followed by a family friend, Atwill Milsun, and a former colleague, Marshall Hinshaw.

McClay, an expert in elite shooting and tactics with a long career in the military and the police, confirmed at the start of the interrogation of Routh that he was assigned to testify and did not want to appear in the name of Routh.

Roth spent most of the time questioning McClay on the scope of the operability of the rifle in question, in particular by trying to question the probability that the SKS rifle in question cannot reach a target at 375 meters.

McClay said it depended on the skill of the shooter – but confirmed that the rifle was able to reach a target at this distance.

During the counter-examination, the prosecutors asked McClay if the rifle could inflict damage to someone at this distance, which McClay confirmed that he could.

The questions of Routh for McClay were shaken by long breaks and sighs of Roth, which at one point, thought aloud: “I must order my questions, or I will be confused.”

FBI telephone extractions, DNA testimony title, Ryan Routh Trial Day 7

The law enforcement officials are working on the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, September 16, 2024, after Sunday’s assassination on the candidate of the time, Donald Trump. (Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)

The list of witnesses of Routh was sparse compared to the dozens of witnesses introduced by prosecutors, in particular legal medicine experts, FBI agents and secret service agents during a period of two weeks.

Instead, he used his two characters to strengthen his own attempts to get started like a “peaceful, sweetness and non-violence” person.

Before his former colleague, Marshall Hinshaw, took the position, Cannon reiterated to Routh the risks of presenting witnesses of character, noting that personal relations can leave such witnesses exposed to difficult counter-examines. Deputy American Prosecutor John Shipipley told Judge Cannon in response that they planned to limit such questions.

Most of the questions that Roth asked his witnesses focused closely on his reputation and his commitment within the community. “You were very appreciated,” Hinshaw told Routh, adding that he would not expect “Routh to harm anyone.

When asked if he could have appeared to the municipal council, Hinshaw replied: “Absolutely”.

Certain questions, especially on the ex-wife of Routh, prompted Cannon to intervene several times, noting that they were far beyond the scope of the case.

His family friend, Atwill Milsun, has echoed that Routh is not a violent person. “You have always been a joyful person,” he told Routh, who, according to him, offered “everything he had” to the local community.

However, the absence of Roth’s advice was clearly exposed. His questions caused a visible frustration of Cannon, who sometimes had to stop the procedure and ask the jury not to take into account the questions or declarations of Routh.

Sometimes her questions raped in deeply unconventional territory, leaving the cannon apparently short of words.

At one point, Routh asked Milsun if he had “never met Tony Hawk”. Milsun replied: “Yes”, but not because of Routh.

Roth then asked: “Would you be ready to go with me to Taiwan to organize an international music festival?” inciting cannon to cut completely routh with his questions.

“I gave you a lot of latitude, (but) it must stop,” she told him.

During a counter-examination, the prosecutors asked Milsun if he knew that Routh exceeded an employee with his truck. Milsun replied that he had not been aware of it.

The two witnesses recognized during the cross-interrogation that they had not spoken in Routh for years.

A sketch representing legal proceedings during the trial of Ryan Routh in Fort Pierce, Florida, September 18, 2025. Ryan Routh was accused of an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024. (Lothar Speer)

Roth should not present evidence in his own name either. He suggested, at some point, the idea that had a “new article by flashlight” to submit, although it is not clear to what, exactly, it was referring.

Cannon told him that he had to “throw an appropriate base” before submitting evidence. When asked if the flashlight had an exhibition number, Routh said to him: “This is a whole new article that we have just created.”

Cannon told him to postpone the case to the watch lawyer and return to question his witness.

His submissions prior to the Court were considered inadmissible evidence. Prosecutors noted that the exhibitions in question include books written by Routh, as well as handwritten drawings and Eagle Scout prices of his childhood. Cannon previously declared that she would keep the exhibitions on the file to give Routh the ability to challenge the court’s decision, if he felt the need to do so.

Routh’s attempt to defend himself in his own criminal trial, using rare evidence and a thin list of witnesses, contrasts strongly with the accusation, which spent almost two weeks with carefully and extemporaneously his file against Routh to a jury in Fort Pierce, Florida.

In this period, the jurors heard 38 witnesses and examined hundreds of exhibitions – text messages, call newspapers, bank files and mobile phones – connecting Routh to the alleged purchase of firearms and placing it near the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in the weeks preceding the assassination attempt.

Prosecutors also presented digital and medico-legal evidence. FBI officials testified last week that Routh’s DNA was found on the scope of the rifle, a glove, an elastic cord and a bag recovered from the “sniper nest” near the sixth hole, where he would have waited at least 12 hours for the arrival of the president.

Before resting his file on Friday, the latest government’s witness, the Special FBI supervision agent Kimberly McGreevy, traveled the jury through large data on mobile phones, license plates files, surveillance images and other information prosecutors allegedly allegedly at Trump’s movements in the preceding weeks.

Cannon, despite his visible frustration, seemed to hope that Routh would take the opportunity to testify in his own name.

“Have you had enough time to decide?” She pressed it at some point of the day.

Click here to obtain the Fox News app

“A year,” Roth told him in response.

After the defense rest, the two parties will present their closing arguments to the jury before deliberating on the verdict. Closing arguments are expected Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest.