(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Ryan Routh is on trial for allegedly attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at a golf course in West Palm Beach last year. Routh is representing himself in court, despite having no legal training. He plans to call three witnesses on Monday, including a gun expert and two character witnesses, as he seeks to convince the jury to spare him from a life sentence.

Routh's defense strategy focuses on portraying himself as a gentle and peaceful person. He has described his approach in court filings as emphasizing his “gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity.” His defense is expected to last about half a day, with closing arguments scheduled for Tuesday.

Among the evidence Routh intends to present are a design for a DIY skatepark, videos of his fundraising efforts for the Ukrainian military, a photo from a flash mob he organized, and a church bulletin from 1980 recognizing him as an Eagle Scout.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon has limited Routh's defense, blocking many of his proposed witnesses, including an ex-girlfriend and several Palestinian scholars. She has also prohibited him from arguing that his actions were justified or that he would not have gone through with the assassination attempt.

The trial has included seven days of testimony from 38 witnesses called by federal prosecutors. They aim to demonstrate that Routh was within a few hundred yards of Trump on September 15. Testimony included that of a Secret Service agent who spotted Routh hiding in the bushes with an assault rifle, as well as the man who sold the gun to Routh illegally. Law enforcement witnesses linked Routh's fingerprints and DNA to the firearm found at the scene.

FBI agents testified that Trump would have been less than 130 feet away from Routh if he had not been detected by the Secret Service. They noted that Routh's rifle could hit a target at a distance ten times greater than that.

Two brothers who worked with Routh testified about receiving a box from him in April 2024, five months before the alleged assassination attempt. The box contained wires, pipes, and bullets. After Routh's arrest, the brothers opened the box and found a 12-page letter that prosecutors claim is a confession. The letter stated, "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job."

Routh contends that the letter does not refer to the assassination attempt. After the prosecution rested its case on Friday, Routh argued that they had not proven their case and requested Judge Cannon to dismiss the charges. He claimed that the area where he was found was public and that anyone could carry a gun there. "They maybe proved that someone was outside the fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired," Routh stated. Judge Cannon denied his motion, ruling that there was sufficient evidence for the jury to consider.