FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A prospective juror being screened Tuesday for the trial of a man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida was dismissed after saying he was present at Ryan Routh's arrest.
Another man was excused during the second day of jury selection after saying that Routh had left a voicemail message at the construction company where he works several days before the assassination attempt. A woman was dismissed after saying she knew a deputy on the witness list.
By Tuesday night, 96 of the 180 potential jurors remained in the jury pool. A third day of jury selection is scheduled for Wednesday.
Those who remained included a golf course superintendent who said Trump had offered him a job at a golf course in West Palm Beach several decades ago, but he had turned it down.
The potential jurors were asked Tuesday morning whether they had hardships that would prevent them from serving on the jury and if they could adhere to the presumption of innocence for the defendant.
A woman raised her hand and told U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon that she had been following the case since the incident occurred, and it would be hard to change her opinion.
“I am MAGA and I love my president,” the woman said, referring to Trump's “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself but said court-appointed attorneys needed to remain as standby counsel.
On Tuesday afternoon, Cannon asked a panel of jurors whether they'd be able to set aside their feelings on Trump and make decisions based on the rule of law. She used questions submitted by prosecutors and told Routh again on Tuesday that the questions he submitted were not relevant to the case.
During a hearing before jury selection began on Monday, Cannon dismissed Routh's questions, which included asking jurors about their views on Gaza, the talk of the U.S. acquiring Greenland and what they would do if they were driving and saw a turtle in the road.
Routh’s trial begins nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot the Republican presidential nominee. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
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