{"id":2459012,"date":"2025-07-11T22:09:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T02:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ryan-routh-offers-himself-for-prisoner-swap-with-us-adversaries\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T22:10:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T02:10:26","slug":"ryan-routh-offers-himself-for-prisoner-swap-with-us-adversaries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ryan-routh-offers-himself-for-prisoner-swap-with-us-adversaries\/","title":{"rendered":"Ryan Routh offers himself for prisoner swap with US adversaries"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fryan-routh-offers-himself-for-prisoner-swap-with-us-adversaries%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2459012&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Ryan Routh, accused of being teh second would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump, has written a letter to the Florida judge handling his case, offering himself in a prisoner swap with adversarial countries such as Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea. In the letter addressed to U.S. District Judge aileen Cannon,Routh expressed a willingness to be traded for detained political prisoners like Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai or other pro-democracy activists imprisoned by China. He suggested that such a swap would be a diplomatic win for Trump, who prioritized freeing wrongfully held Americans during his governance. Routh also stated his intention to dismiss his attorneys and represent himself,citing dissatisfaction with his legal defence. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rift-with-byron-donalds-distracts-from-desantis-campaign-reboot-gop-operatives-say\/\" title=\"Rift with Byron Donalds distracts from DeSantis campaign reboot, GOP operatives say\">faces multiple federal<\/a> and state charges related to the failed assassination attempt on Trump at a golf course in Florida last September and is scheduled for trial in September, with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >potential sentences including life imprisonment<\/a> or the death penalty.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Ryan Routh offers himself for prisoner swap with US adversaries in letter shared by judge<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2172084\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3373234\/witness-ryan-routh-trump-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Ryan Routh\">Ryan Routh<\/a>, the second alleged would-be assassin of President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Donald Trump\">Donald Trump<\/a>, told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Florida\">Florida<\/a> judge presiding over his case on Friday that he wants to offer himself to Russia, China, Iran, or North Korea as part of a prisoner exchange with one of the foreign adversaries.<\/p>\n<p>Routh&rsquo;s offer was shared in a <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.flsd.675704\/gov.uscourts.flsd.675704.194.0.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"letter\">letter<\/a> he addressed to United States District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3468892\/blanche-riff-bongino-patel-bondi-epstein-list\/\">Bondi&#8217;s handling of Epstein files sparks rift with Bongino and Patel<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3468607\/dershowitz-says-two-new-york-judges-still-blocking-epstein-details\/\">Dershowitz says two New York judges still blocking Epstein details: &#8216;Everything should come out&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3468890\/judge-weighs-blocking-trump-administration-deporting-kilmar-abrego-garcia\/\">Judge weighs blocking Trump administration from quickly deporting Abrego Garcia again<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;I had wished for a prisoner swap with Hamas, Iran for a female protester, or China for Jimmy Lai or one of the 40 others or to freeze to death in Siberia in exchange for a Ukrainian soldier so that I could die being of some use and save all this court mess, but no one acts,&rdquo; he wrote to Cannon. &ldquo;Perhaps you have the power to trade me away.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Jimmy Lai is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-represses-hong-kong-christians-under-olympic-shadow\/\" title=\"China Represses Hong Kong Christians Under Olympic Shadow\">jailed media tycoon<\/a> and pro-democracy activist who protested Beijing&rsquo;s national security crackdown on Hong Kong in 2019. The &ldquo;40 others&rdquo; Routh is likely referring to are the 47 pro-democracy figures arrested by Beijing in 2021 for organizing an unofficial primary election in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p>Routh says his part in a prisoner swap would make sense for Trump, whose administration has prioritized the release of people wrongfully imprisoned, including the Israeli captives held by Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What an easy diplomatic victory for Trump to give an American he hates to China, Iran, or North Korea, or wherever, as a gesture of peace in exchange for an unjustly held democratic prisoner,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;Everyone wins.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Last September, the suspect failed to assassinate Trump while camping outside the then-candidate&rsquo;s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The alleged gunman fled the scene after a Secret Service agent spotted him hiding in a bush along the property&rsquo;s fence.<\/p>\n<p>Routh faces numerous federal charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty, in addition to state charges brought by the Florida attorney general.<\/p>\n<p>In the letter, the defendant revealed that he fired his attorneys and wishes to represent himself in the case moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me. That was foolish and ignorant, and I am sorry,&rdquo; he wrote, noting it was &ldquo;a childish mistake.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Judge Cannon held hearings on Thursday to assess Routh&rsquo;s decision to fire his attorneys. He swore under oath that he understood the implications of such a decision.<\/p>\n<p>Until Cannon issues a ruling, his lawyers will remain on the case.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3468397\/trump-satisfied-investigation-butler-assassination-attempt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"TRUMP 'SATISFIED' WITH INVESTIGATION INTO BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: 'HAD A BAD DAY'\">TRUMP &lsquo;SATISFIED&rsquo; WITH INVESTIGATION INTO BUTLER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: &lsquo;HAD A BAD DAY&rsquo;<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Routh explained in the letter how he feels unsupported and ignored by his legal defense team and apologized to the judge for being a burden.<\/p>\n<p>The 59-year-old defendant is scheduled to stand trial on Sept. 8. If convicted, he could face life in prison or the death penalty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2172084\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2172084\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ryan Routh offers self in prisoner swap with US foes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2459013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/routh.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[58947,36886,40988,44347],"class_list":["post-2459012","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-hostage-negotiation","tag-prisoner-swap","tag-ryan-routh","tag-us-adversaries"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/routh.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459012","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2459012"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459012\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2459016,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459012\/revisions\/2459016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2459013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2459012"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2459012"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2459012"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}