Quick Hit:

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday announced state charges against Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course last year. 

Key Details:

• Routh allegedly tried to shoot President Trump in September 2024 while on Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, but was stopped by Secret Service agents before he could open fire.

• Attorney General Uthmeier said the Biden administration had “stonewalled” Florida’s investigation for months, but credited U.S. AG Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for helping defend Florida’s authority to act.

• Routh will be charged with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism. If convicted, he could face up to 60 years in state prison.

Diving Deeper:

Florida is moving forward with its own prosecution of Ryan Wesley Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump in September 2024. State Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Wednesday that Routh will be charged with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism, crimes that carry a combined maximum penalty of 60 years in state prison if convicted.

Routh allegedly attempted to shoot Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach but was stopped by Secret Service agents who returned fire before Routh could discharge his weapon. He fled the scene but was captured shortly afterward.

“For nearly a year, the Biden administration has stonewalled Florida’s effort to hold this man accountable,” Uthmeier said in his statement. He added that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and current FBI Director Kash Patel played a key role in “defending Florida’s sovereign authority to do what is right and bring justice where it is due.”

In the days following Routh’s arrest, President Trump publicly urged Florida to investigate the attempt on his life, saying he had more confidence in the state’s law enforcement than in the FBI under President Joe Biden. Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody echoed Trump’s call, with DeSantis stating that the federal government lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute attempted murder. “If convicted in Florida, this individual could spend the rest of his life behind bars,” DeSantis said at the time.

Routh already faces federal charges for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with a removed serial number—offenses that could land him up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. But the state-level charges, if successful, could result in a significantly harsher punishment.