Trump’s failed assassin stabs self with pen upon conviction

The 59-year-old man accused of planning to assassinate President Donald Trump last fall tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen Tuesday as he received a guilty verdict. Federal prosecutors accused Ryan Routh of waiting near the sixth hole of the then-candidate’s West Palm Beach golf course with a loaded semiautomatic rifle.

A jury convicted Routh of attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several gun charges, according to the Associated Press. The jury found the suspect guilty on all charges after about two hours of deliberation, following about two weeks of proceedings where Routh legally represented himself rather than use an attorney.

What’s his medical state? Witnesses reported Routh carried out the apparent suicide attempt as jurors left the courtroom after having delivered the verdict, according to the Associated Press. Officers immediately tackled Routh and removed him from the courtroom, according to courtroom reports.

Witnesses reported that Routh’s daughter, Sara, was screaming to her father, begging him not to harm himself or others, according to the Associated Press. While her father was being removed, she continued screaming that the case was rigged, according to courtroom reports. The defendant was later brought back into the courtroom, where the U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon scheduled Routh for sentencing on Dec. 18. Witnesses reported no signs of blood on Routh’s shirt when he returned to court.

Trump released a Tuesday afternoon statement congratulating Attorney General Pam Bondi’s department on the win. The conviction of this evil man marks a big moment for justice in America, he wrote. 

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more about Judge Cannon allowing Routh to represent himself at trial.