A federal judge just ruled that Ryan Routh, the man accused of plotting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course, can represent himself at trial. That’s right—an alleged would-be assassin is being granted the right to play lawyer in a case involving one of the most serious threats to a former president and current presidential candidate in modern history. If you’re not already shaking your head, you should be.
Routh, a 59-year-old from Hawaii, is set to go on trial this September in Florida. Prosecutors say he planned to kill Trump while he was still a presidential candidate in 2024, before the American people overwhelmingly elected him again in a stunning repudiation of the radical left. And now, just months into Trump’s second term, the judicial system is letting his alleged attempted murderer take the stand as his own attorney.
Let’s be clear: the right to represent oneself in court is enshrined in the Constitution. But that doesn’t make every application of it wise—or safe. In high-profile federal cases, especially ones involving national security or threats to a former and sitting president, the stakes are far too high to treat the courtroom like an open mic night. This isn’t some petty theft or traffic violation. This was an alleged attempt to assassinate a former president of the United States.
What’s even more disturbing is how little media attention this case is getting. Imagine for one moment that someone had plotted to assassinate Barack Obama or Joe Biden. The media would be in a frenzy. CNN would run wall-to-wall coverage. The New York Times would have a new front-page exposé every day for a month. But because the target was Donald Trump, the outrage is muted. The story barely makes a blip on the radar. That silence tells you everything you need to know about the corporate media’s priorities.
And let’s not forget the political climate that nurtures this kind of extremism. For years, the left has demonized Trump and his supporters, calling them fascists, racists, insurrectionists—you name it. When you constantly paint someone as a threat to democracy, as the left has done with Trump, it’s only a matter of time before unstable individuals take matters into their own hands. Words have consequences. The left’s rhetoric has been reckless, and now we see the real-world results.
This is the same progressive crowd that screamed about “threats to democracy” while turning a blind eye to actual violence aimed at their political opponents. They cheered when Trump was indicted. They said nothing when his supporters were harassed. And now, when a man is accused of plotting to take Trump’s life, they meet it with silence—or worse, indifference.
The judge’s decision to let Routh represent himself raises serious questions about the integrity and seriousness of the trial. Is this about justice, or is this going to turn into a circus? Are we going to let someone accused of attempted political assassination turn the courtroom into a stage for ideological grandstanding?
We’ve already seen what happens when the justice system bends over backward to accommodate criminals with ideological motivations. It undermines public confidence and emboldens others who believe violence is a legitimate political tool. This trial needs to be treated with the gravity it deserves. Not just because it involves a former president, but because it speaks to the broader issue of political violence in America.
President Trump has faced more threats, more attacks, and more slander than any president in modern history—and he’s still standing. That alone is a testament to his resilience and leadership. But it’s also a wake-up call for the rest of us. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to these threats. They are not normal. They are not acceptable. And they must not be ignored.
The American people deserve to know the full truth about what Ryan Routh allegedly planned—and they deserve to see justice done, swiftly and seriously. Not as a spectacle, but as a solemn affirmation that this country still stands for law and order, even when the political winds blow against it.
