### Man Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - Ryan Routh, the accused in the attempted assassination case involving former President Donald Trump, presented a not guilty plea during his federal court appearance on Monday. His defense attorney, Kristy Militello, entered the plea on his behalf for all five counts, choosing to waive the reading of charges and requesting a trial. The brief arraignment lasted three minutes, and Routh, 58, appeared in a brown jail uniform, exchanging brief interactions with his legal team and showing a casual demeanor by laughing at certain points.

The grand jury in Miami returned a five-count indictment against Routh on September 24. The charges include attempted assassination of a presidential candidate, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, assault on a federal officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. When asked by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart if he understood the allegations, Routh confirmed with a simple, "Yes, your honor."

According to authorities, the incident occurred on September 15 while Trump was golfing. A Secret Service agent reportedly saw Routh with a semi-automatic rifle behind a chain-linked fence and shot in his direction. Routh did not manage to fire his weapon and attempted to flee, but was subsequently detained. Court documents revealed that Routh had previously left a note encouraging others to "finish the job" if he failed, offering a $150,000 incentive for Trump's assassination.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Ryon McCabe decided on September 23 to keep Routh in custody, denying the defense's request for his release on a $250,000 bond into his sister's care. The decision came just before Routh was formally charged with the attempted assassination. Prosecutors had indicated that additional charges were imminent during a detention hearing.

Routh’s legal team argued that the contents of the note showed he intended to fail and characterized his actions as an attention-seeking stunt. Despite this, the severity of the charges has led to his continued detention as he awaits trial.