US judge declines to recuse from case against man accused of Trump assassination attempt

By Sarah N. Lynch

A U.S. judge on Tuesday declined to recuse herself from presiding over the criminal case against a man who is facing charges for trying to assassinate former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by Trump to the bench in 2020, said in her ruling the attorneys for Ryan Wesley Routh did not present a valid basis for her to step aside.

Cannon has faced criticism in the past over her rulings in two high-profile cases involving Trump, including criminal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith that Trump mishandled classified documents after leaving the White House and obstructed the Justice Department's investigation.

In July, Cannon dismissed the charges against Trump, saying Smith was unlawfully appointed to his role and did not have the authority to bring the case.

The Justice Department is appealing that decision, which it said goes against decades of rulings by other federal courts.

Routh, who is accused of staking out Trump's golf course with a rifle, has pleaded not guilty. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

His attorneys said Cannon's favorable rulings for Trump, the fact that he nominated her to the bench, and the prospect for Trump to nominate her to a higher court should he win the Nov. 5 election all could create an appearance of partiality in the mind of the public.

Cannon said none of these issues created the need for her to recuse.

"I have never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding," Cannon wrote.