The Liberty Daily 
(The Epoch Times)—The defense rested its case on Sept. 22 in the trial of Ryan Routh, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his South Florida golf club last year.
Routh, who is representing himself in the case, called three witnesses on Monday. He questioned a firearms expert about the SKS-style rifle found at the crime scene in September 2024, and two character witnesses who have known Routh for years and testified that he has a history of community engagement and helping his friends and associates.
“Under stress, you’ve always been a jolly person,” said Atwill Milsun, who was described as a mentee and longtime associate of the defendant after attending school with Routh’s son more than 10 years ago.
Routh questioned military veteran and gun expert Michael McClay Jr. as to whether the SKS-style rifle could have been operable when found at the crime scene by law enforcement last year.
He probed Milsun and Marshall Hinshaw—his other character witness and longtime friend and employee—to establish his “reputation of non-violence.”
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida reminded Routh repeatedly to keep his questioning within the scope of each witness’s expertise and the bounds of federal rules for witness testimony and cross-examinations.
Prosecutors objected to multiple lines of inquiry from Routh, including when he asked McClay if, in his training, it takes “a special kind of person to take another life?”
Cannon said closing arguments will begin Tuesday morning, followed by jury deliberation. The judge gave jurors their extended jury instructions in court on Monday afternoon.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
