Ryan Routh sentenced to life in prison for 2024 attempt on Trump's life
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Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2024 Golf Club Trump Assassination Attempt
Was justice served with a life sentence, is this case tainted by Judge Cannon's refusal to recuse herself or is there more to the Routh story that neither side is telling?
Above: Ryan Routh at a pro-Ukraine rally in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 27, 2022. Image credit: Nicolas Garcia/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
Ryan Routh spent over ten hours lying in wait with a scoped rifle at Trump International Golf Club, positioned 300 to 500 yards from the president, and was only stopped when a Secret Service agent spotted his weapon barrel protruding from the bushes. Routh showed zero remorse throughout his trial, even had the audacity to claim he was just "caring too much" and engaging in peaceful protest, and prosecutors rightly noted that murder is not a legitimate way to oppose a presidential candidate.
Democratic narrative
While Routh probably got what he deserved and should be sentenced, that doesn't excuse the corruption of this case. Judge Cannon, a Trump appointee with a documented history of biased rulings favoring the president, has placed a permanent cloud over this case due to her refusal to follow the basic procedure of judicial recusal. The assignment of a blatantly pro-Trump judge to a Trump-related case created significant doubts about impartiality and irreparably damaged the integrity of the judicial process.
Cynical narrative
Beyond the Democrat-Republican theater, there seems to be a lot more to Routh's story than either side of the mainstream political world is willing to talk about. From his career recruiting military mercenaries and his book on Ukraine that seems like it was written by the CIA, to Judge Cannon's decision to withhold documents on "national security" grounds, the American people deserve to know much more about this mysterious man.