OCT 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.10

AROUND THE COUNTRY

AROUND THE COUNTRY WASHINGTON, D.C. Jury convicts man of attempted assassination of president Donald J. Trump and assault of a federal law enforcement officer. A federal jury today convicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, of Hawaii, for attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump when he was a major presidential candidate in a planned sniper attack at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. “This verdict sends a clear message. An attempt to assassinate a presidential candidate is an attack on our Republic and on the rights of every citizen,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue those who try to silence political voices, and no enemy, foreign or domestic, will ever silence the will of the American people. I want to thank and congratulate the trial team and our law enforcement partners for their outstanding work and dedication in bringing this case to justice.” “Ryan Routh’s attempted assassination of President Trump was a disgusting act — mere weeks before an election and only months after a separate assassination attempt came dangerously close to succeeding,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “FBI teams worked quickly and diligently with local partners and the Department of Justice to demonstrate a clear fact pattern of Routh’s planning and intent, and we are grateful to see a quick resolution. The FBI will continue working aggressively to take violent offenders off American streets and protect public officials from threats of all nature.” “There are few crimes more serious than attempting to assassinate a President or former President of the United States, for such an act strikes at the very heart of our Nation and our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The evidence was clear - a loaded rifle with its serial number obliterated, a backpack and gear found in the woods near Trump International, cellphone records placing the defendant at the scene, and a letter confessing intent - all pointing to a chilling attempt to assassinate then former-President Trump. Today’s jury verdict is a resounding rejection of political violence and a reminder of how perilously close we came to a tragedy of historic proportions.” “Today’s jury verdict delivers justice. What Routh did was objectively evil — an attempt not only to take a life, but to rob Americans of their right to vote and to silence free speech. This was nothing less than an attempted assassination of both a man and the democratic voice he represented,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “We have seen over the past decade how political violence — from the assassination of Charlie Kirk to threats meant to silence conservative voices — has poisoned our public square. Such violence is un-American. It is an assault on every one of us, no matter our politics. The Southern District of Florida will relentlessly pursue those who try to steal our freedoms, and we will ensure that the rule of law — not fear, not violence — prevails.” 50 The BLUES OCTOBER ‘25

The BLUES - OCTOBER ‘25 51