They say the man who defends himself in court has a fool for a client. Would-be assassin Ryan Routh, now on trial for an attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, seems determined to prove that axiom true. He's been rebuked by the judge in his ongoing trial several times.
During the trial, the Secret Service agent who spotted Routh in his hide testified that he came within five feet of the would-be shooter.
The Secret Service agent who spotted Ryan Routh's alleged sniper perch on the golf course where Donald Trump was playing last year testified at Routh's trial Thursday that he came within five feet of Routh's rifle before he realized Routh was armed.
Routh, who is representing himself, is on trial in Florida on charges of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course last September.
The 59-year-old construction worker, who is not a lawyer and has no legal education, has been rebuked several times by the judge overseeing the case after making unexpected and off-topic comments.
One comment in particular by the agent speaks volumes:
"The barrel of the AK was pointed directly at my face," Robert Fercano, the Secret Service agent who confronted Routh on the golf course, testified. "I was in fear for President Trump's life."
Note that he did not express fear for his own life, despite having a rifle pointed at his face. He expressed fear for President Trump's life. That's the job, and Mr. Fercano shows the signs of being a pro.
While Fercano said he initially thought Routh was not a threat, he stated that he then noticed an object "black in nature protruding from the fence line" when he was approximately five feet from Routh.
"Upon further scanning, I had identified the weapon to be a Soviet-style weapon," he said. "I noticed the front sight post was facing me."
A former Marine marksman, Fercano said the situation "appeared to be a textbook ambush scenario."
Note that Routh, on that day, had an SKS rifle, which is indeed a Soviet-style weapon, and which has a muzzle and front sight profile similar to that of the AK series of weapons.
Read More: Second Attempted Trump Assassin Sends Lunatic Letter to Judge
Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Makes Bizarre Court Appearance, Asks Jurors About Turtles
But it's in Routh's opening statements that we get a pretty good idea of what a nut this guy is.
The day began with opening statements, during which Routh was cut off by the judge.
Routh launched into a speech about the origin of the human species, global conflicts, and his political grievances, before Judge Cannon cut him off after about six minutes for making arguments that she said have "absolutely nothing to do with the evidence in this case."
"You do not have an unlimited license to go forward to make a mockery of the dignity of this courtroom," Judge Cannon said.
Again, the man who defends himself has a fool for a client. One wonders if this kind of nitwitted rambling won't actually hurt Routh's case in the end, not that there's much doubt that the government's case against him doesn't have him dead to rights. Granted, Routh is entitled to a trial by a jury of his peers; like any American, he's entitled to due process, and he's even entitled to represent himself in court if he chooses. But boy, does he seem to be making a hash of it. This may make the jury's job easier. At one point, when asked by Judge Aileen Cannon about his minimal cross-examination of witnesses, Routh replied, "I'm very simple-minded, yes."
An unintentional truth?
We'll be watching as the trial develops. Stay tuned.
Editor's Note: President Trump is leading America into the "Golden Age" as Democrats and would-be assassins try desperately to stop it.
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