FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The trial of Ryan Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, commenced Thursday with opening statements. Routh, 59, is representing himself in court after U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon allowed him to dismiss his court-appointed attorneys, who remain available if needed.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations. Until recently, he appeared in court shackled and dressed in a tan jail jumpsuit. However, with jurors present, he was unrestrained and wore a sport coat and tie.

A jury of 12 members and four alternates was sworn in on Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce. The jury consists of four white men, one Black man, six white women, and one Black woman, while the alternates include two white men and two white women. The panel was selected from a pool of 180 potential jurors.

The trial follows an incident on September 15, 2024, when Routh allegedly aimed a rifle at Trump while the former president was golfing at his West Palm Beach country club. Prosecutors claim Routh had been planning the attack for weeks. A U.S. Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view, leading to a confrontation where the agent opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.

This incident occurred just nine weeks after another assassination attempt on Trump during his campaign in Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s ear before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.

Judge Cannon, appointed by Trump, has faced scrutiny for her previous handling of a criminal case involving Trump and classified documents. Routh, a former construction worker from North Carolina who had moved to Hawaii, has a history of violent behavior. Witnesses have described him as a self-styled mercenary leader who sought to recruit soldiers for conflicts around the world, including the war in Ukraine.

Routh's criminal history includes a 2002 arrest in Greensboro, North Carolina, for eluding police and barricading himself with a fully automatic machine gun and an explosive device. The trial is expected to last two to three weeks.