(NEW YORK) -- Opening statements are set to begin Thursday in the criminal trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course last year.
With instances of political violence on the rise, the trial is expected to revisit one of the most high-profile instances of alleged violence directed at Trump in the waning days of the 2024 election.
Hiding in the bushes of Trump's Palm Beach golf course and armed with a rifle, Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of the then-presidential nominee before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of the tree line.
Routh's self-representation created some issues during the three days of jury selection earlier this week. Judge Cannon -- who previously oversaw and dismissed one of Trump's criminal cases -- refused to use many of his proposed jury questions, deeming them too "political."