Jury selection begins in the trial of the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida

Source: AP

By DAVID FISCHER
Updated 11:38 AM CDT, September 8, 2025

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida wanted to ask potential jurors Monday on the first day of jury selection about their views on the war in Gaza and the talk of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, but a judge said those questions were irrelevant.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon earlier had signed off on Ryan Routh’s request to represent himself but said court-appointed attorneys needed to remain as standby counsel. Routh also wanted to ask jurors what they would do if they were driving and saw a turtle in the road.

The judge on Monday approved most of the other questions for jurors submitted by prosecutors.

Routh wore a gray sports coat, red tie with white stripes and khaki slacks, in accordance with Cannon’s instructions that he be dressed in professional business attire, and he was partially shackled at the defense table. Three batches of 60 jurors arrived at the federal courtroom in Fort Pierce, Florida, on a staggered schedule Monday and spent the morning filling out questionnaires.



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