Routh found guilty on all counts in Trump assassination case as NYT pre-published not-guilty verdict is corrected

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted Ryan Routh on all five federal counts tied to an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate at President Donald Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. The verdict marks the culmination of a high-profile security case that drew national attention to the threats surrounding political figures. The five-count verdicts carry a potential life sentence, reflecting the gravity of the charges willfully pursued by prosecutors.

Jurors found Routh guilty on all counts after deliberating in Fort Pierce, Florida. The charges included attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses. In the moments after the verdict, Routh reportedly attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen, an act halted by four U.S. Marshals who restrained him.

Following the decision, The New York Times acknowledged an editing error related to prewriting practices for news events. The Times said that ahead of newsworthy courtroom outcomes, outlets prepare for various possible results and sometimes publish prewritten material. An earlier version of the Times article ran with a not guilty headline before being replaced with the correct, guilty verdict less than a minute later, and a correction was appended to explain the mistake. The current version makes clear that Mr. Routh was found guilty on all five counts.

The episode underscored a longstanding tension in newsrooms about prewriting and prepublishing content. Historical reminders are often cited to illustrate the risks of prepublished headlines: the 1948 Chicago Daily Tribune’s miscaptioned “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline and, more recently, the pop culture example of a show that prewrote an episode in anticipation of an election outcome. While prewriting is a common newsroom practice intended to speed coverage, editors emphasize the need to verify outcomes before publication.

Routh, described in federal filings as an itinerant building contractor, faced five federal counts stemming from the September 2024 incident at Trump’s golf club. The charges included attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses, with a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on all counts. The trial, which drew extensive media attention, involved security concerns around a high-profile political figure and the risk of violence associated with presidential politics.

Prosecutors had argued that Routh’s plan posed a direct threat to a sitting or former president, and they presented evidence and testimony intended to establish intent and the means to carry out the act. The defense contended with questions about intent and the interpretation of the events that occurred at the club. As the verdict was delivered, updates indicated prosecutors were preparing to wrap the case as the defense prepared to present witnesses, consistent with ongoing post-verdict procedures in cases of this magnitude.

The verdict in this high-profile matter arrives amid a broader national conversation about security, violence, and the handling of politically charged cases by the justice system. While the specifics of any sentence will be determined in a separate phase of the proceedings, the guilty findings on all five counts set the stage for a potential life sentence, subject to federal sentencing guidelines and judicial discretion. The case will proceed to sentencing at a later date, when the court will hear arguments on the appropriate punishment, including any considerations related to Routh’s conduct during and after the verdict.

In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials reinforced the seriousness with which threats against public figures are treated. The incident at the West Palm Beach club in 2024 remains a focal point for discussions about security protocols at high-profile events and the readiness of federal prosecutors to pursue severe charges in cases involving violent acts against political leaders. The ongoing coverage continues to be closely watched by observers of U.S. politics and national security.