Trial Begins for Florida Man Accused of Attempted Trump Assassination

Ryan Routh, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump while he played golf in South Florida last year, is representing himself in his federal trial in Fort Pierce, Florida. At the start of the trial, Routh apologized to potential jurors for bringing them into the case and faced restrictions on the questions he could ask them, with Judge Aileen Cannon dismissing those about Gaza, Greenland, and turtles as irrelevant. Routh forfeited his right to continue his opening statement after veering off topic to unrelated subjects such as Adolf Hitler and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Prosecutors described Routh's plan as carefully crafted and deadly serious, alleging he had plotted for weeks to kill Trump but was stopped by a Secret Service agent before he could fire. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearm violations. The trial is expected to last several weeks, with a diverse jury panel sworn in and standby counsel appointed to assist Routh.