Man Charged With Trying to Kill Trump Dumps His Lawyers

A man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump in South Florida last year was back in court this week, asking a federal judge to let him represent himself, as prosecutors tried to block him from introducing irrelevant evidence during trial.

• Ryan Routh's court-appointed federal public defenders on Thursday asked to be taken off the case, saying he had refused repeated attempts to meet with their team, the AP reports.
• Separately, prosecutors trying the case asked a judge ahead of the September trial to rule out the introduction of inadmissible evidence, such as Routh's previous writings, that may unfairly influence jurors.

• US District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off Thursday on Routh's request to represent himself during his trial but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.
• The judge told Routh that she believed it was a bad idea for Routh to represent himself, but he wouldn't be dissuaded. Routh, who has described the extent of his education as two years of college after earning his GED certificate, told Cannon that he understood and would be ready.
• CBS News reports that in a June 29 letter to the judge, Routh said he and his attorneys were "a million miles apart."
• In the same letter, Routh asked why the death penalty wasn't on the table and suggested a prisoner swap with Russia or another country, Fox News reports. "An easy diplomatic victory for Trump to give an American he hates to China, Iran, or North Korea," he wrote.
• On Friday, the judge was hearing a motion from prosecutors to limit unrelated evidence at trial. "As the Court knows, Routh has been very explicit in his desire to turn this trial into a circus where his supposed good character is weighed against the President's," prosecutors wrote.

• The 59-year-old Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told the AP.
• Authorities said Routh tried to assassinate Trump, who was running for his second term last September as the GOP presidential nominee, while he played golf at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
• Routh is facing five felony counts in federal court in Fort Pierce, Florida. They include attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate; possessing a firearm to carry out a violent crime; assaulting a federal officer; felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.