The federal trial of Ryan Routh, the accused would-be assassin of President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club last year, is scheduled to begin Thursday.
After several rounds of jury selection that began Monday, a panel of 12 jurors — along with four alternates — were seated Wednesday. The group includes six White women, four White men, one Black woman, and one Black man. The alternates consist of two White women and two White men.
Opening arguments are scheduled for Thursday at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, where prosecutors are expected to move swiftly into presenting their case.
RYAN ROUTH TRIAL: JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE
Suspected would-be assassin Ryan Routh was arrested by law enforcement in Florida in September 2024 and his federal trial begins Thursday. (Martin County Sheriff's Office/ REUTERS)
Roughly 180 people were summoned for jury duty in three waves of 60. Both prosecutors and Routh, who has declined public defense and has chosen to self-represent, questioned candidates to determine whether they could serve impartially.
Routh peppered prospective jurors with offbeat questions, asking about Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and even what they would do if a turtle crossed the road while they were driving.
The most recent high-profile federal defendant to represent themselves was Dylann Storm Roof, the mass murderer responsible for the 2015 Charleston church shooting. Roof briefly represented himself in the federal death penalty phase of his trial in 2016. He requested to proceed pro se and was allowed to do so for part of the proceedings before ultimately reverting to court-appointed counsel.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CHALLENGES PRESIDENT TO ROUND OF GOLF
Jury selection for the trial of Ryan Routh, who is accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump, kicked off on Monday. The trial is expected to begin Thursday. (LOTHAR SPEER)
By the end of Tuesday, the court had already dismissed more than 70 of the initial 180 prospective jurors, many citing strong opinions about Trump, connections to law enforcement, or concerns about impartiality in a highly politicized case.
Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer. Prosecutors say he was armed with an AK-style rifle when Secret Service agents stopped him near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach in September 2024. The attempt came just months after Trump was shot and narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pa.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT RYAN ROUTH CAN REPRESENT HIMSELF AT TRIAL, FEDERAL JUDGE RULES
Trump assassination suspect Ryan Routh was arrested for alleged attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number in Palm Beach County, Florida on Sept. 15, 2024. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)
The trial is expected to last two to four weeks with Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon at the helm of the trial.
Fox News Digital's Diana Stancy contributed to this report.