FORT PIERCE, Fla. (Gray DC) – Wednesday, Ryan Wesley Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years for attempting to assassinate then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach, Fla. country club.
A Florida jury convicted the 59-year-old on September 23 on five federal counts, including attempting to assassinate a former president during a presidential campaign.
Prosecutors said Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming his rifle through bushes as Trump played golf at the country club. Routh never fired a shot.
Since the assassination attempt, the Secret Service has dramatically increased its protection of Trump. Congress unanimously passed bills to beef up security through the increased use of drones and advanced surveillance technology.
The new laws also mandate better communication with local and state law enforcement.
Former presidents receive pared down Secret Service protection, but since returning to the White House last January, Trump once again receives the highest level of security provided by the Secret Service. The agency says that’s necessary to address what it calls “a more dangerous and dynamic threat environment.”
In a statement from the Department of Justice, “This life sentence reflects a fundamental truth: political violence is un-American and will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “An attempted assassination of a presidential candidate is an attack on our democratic process and the rule of law itself. This assassination attempt was stopped by the courage and professionalism of U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, whose decisive actions protected lives and prevented a national tragedy. Today’s life sentence ensures the defendant will never again threaten public safety and sends a clear message that those who choose violence to advance their beliefs will face swift, certain, and decisive justice.”
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