U.S. President Donald Trump attends a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer (not pictured) at Chequers at the conclusion of a state visit on September 18, 2025 in Aylesbury, England. This is the final day of President Trump’s second UK state visit, with the previous one taking place in 2019 during his first presidential term. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Wall Street Journal and its parent companies, Dow Jones and News Corp., on Monday moved to dismiss President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit over the paper’s July article reporting on an alleged letter from Trump that was included in a 50th birthday book for the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
The motion contends that the article is true.
“The Birthday Book as produced by the Epstein estate and later publicly released by the House Oversight Committee contains a letter identical to the one described in the Article,” the motion states.
The motion further contends that the article is not defamatory, arguing that “there is nothing defamatory about a person sending a bawdy note to a friend, and the Article cannot damage Plaintiff’s reputation as a matter of law.”
“The Complaint should be dismissed with prejudice, and the Court should award Defendants their reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs,” the motion states.
Trump filed the lawsuit in July in federal court in Florida, seeking damages of at least $10 billion.
The president has argued that the letter is fake and that the signature on the letter is not his.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Members of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service police provide security as Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, is brought before a judge at the federal courthouse for an initial appearance on September 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Ryan Routh, who is representing himself as he faces charges of trying to kill Donald Trump on Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course last year, rested his defense at his trial in Florida Monday following some chaotic testimony.
Routh, who lacks any legal education or experience, was cut off multiple times by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon while questioning the three witnesses he called, two of whom testified about his character.
Routh declined to testify in his own defense. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Judge Cannon ended the day by warning Routh that she will bar him from further addressing the jury if his closing argument is “disconnected” from the evidence in the case.
“Any argument you make … must be reasonably tied to the admitted evidence. Do you understand?” Cannon asked Routh, telling him that any deviation will “cause a problem.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” Routh said.
‘Give it your worst’
Routh argued Monday that the witnesses testifying about his character would show the jury he was incapable of killing Trump — though it risked opening the door to prosecutors introducing potentially damaging information about him.
“Give it your worst,” Routh told Judge Cannon after she warned of the dangers of using character witnesses. “We can analyze every moment of my life. We are here to ascertain the truth; we are going to give the jury everything.”
Routh then called to the stand his longtime friend Marshall Hinshaw, who told the jury that he has known Routh for twenty years as both a friend and coworker.
“Is it safe to say you knew everything in my life, and I know everything in your life?” Routh asked.
“I think so,” Hinshaw said.
“Is it your personal opinion of me that I am peaceful and gentle, and nonviolent?” Routh asked.
“I would say so,” Hinshaw said. “I would not expect you to harm anyone, Ryan.”
Routh proceeded to ask Hinshaw about how he treated his employees, his involvement in his community, whether his ex-wife was “not the easiest person to work with,” and his parenting style.
“Would you say I was a decent parent?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” Hinshaw said.
“You are not aware of me hitting or spanking my children?” Routh asked.
“No, maybe the other way around,” Hinshaw said.
“On the worst days when everything was falling apart, was I calm or patient?” Routh asked.
“Everyone looked up to you and respected you in that circle,” Hinshaw said before Cannon intervened.
“This must cease,” the judge said. “I am going to ask you to wrap up.”
“You always took care of people,” Hinshaw said. “You were the No. 1 person in my phone … you were great for me.”
During a brief cross-examination, a federal prosecutor sought to highlight that Hinshaw stopped seeing Routh regularly after 2017. He also asked if the allegations against Routh — including that he allegedly vowed to kill the Trump so he “cannot get reelected” — would change his impression of his longtime friend.
Hinshaw largely stood by Routh and pushed back when prosecutors sought to highlight Hinshaw’s rap sheet of larceny offenses.
“Like many people in America, I got addicted to drugs,” Hinshaw explained to the jury.
When Hinshaw concluded his cross-examination, he briefly flashed Routh the peace sign while leaving court.
‘You have always been a jolly person’
Routh’s second witness was Atwell Milsun, a longtime friend of Routh’s son Oren.
“Would you consider me to be gentle, and peaceful and nonviolent?” Routh again asked.
“I have never seen you as a violent person,” Milsun said. “Under stress, you have always been a jolly person.”
Routh then asked Milsun about Routh’s involvement in the community, including his helping employ others, lending people money, and assisting with community projects. “We are not talking about the police,” Routh joked.
“Did I do enough?” Routh asked Milsun about his involvement in the community.
“You did everything you could,” Milsun said.
Judge Cannon susequently cut off Routh’s questions, saying, “It’s crossed the line many times.”
‘I am not going to guess that’
Routh began his defense with a meandering direct examination of a firearms expert who tested the weapon allegedly used for the assassination attempt.
Routh attempted to focus his questions on the low likelihood that his assassination attempt would be successful because of issues with his weapon and the location of his alleged sniper perch.
Michael McClay, a Marine Corps veteran and expert in sniper tactics, noted that the firearm — a Chinese-made variant of the AK-47 — would routinely misfire, that the rifle’s scope appeared to be secured with a combination of putty, tape, and glue, that Routh was poorly camouflaged, and that hitting a target from 300 yards away would be difficult.
“Is there any way you could put a chance of success rate?” Routh asked.
“With the severity and seriousness of this, I am not going to guess that,” McClay responded.
“I respect that,” Routh said.
Despite McClay testifying as a defense witness, he appeared to be confused by many of Routh’s questions and declined to answer at times.
“Did you suffer mental anguish from being shot at?” Routh asked McClay, a veteran who saw combat.
“I don’t wish to answer that,” McClay said.
The main thrust of Routh’s direct examination of McClay was Routh’s suggestion that the assassination attempt would have failed due to his own incompetence and his being a self-described “coward.” Prosecutors had argued that Routh planned his attempt for months and set up a sniper’s perch with body armor to ensure that he would be able to shoot Trump.
“If someone is not dedicated to their mission 100%, is an exit plan vital to those who are cowards?” he asked McClay.
“I don’t understand,” McClay said.
“In your experience in the military, does it take a special type of person to take another person’s life?” Routh asked, prompting Judge Aileen Cannon to cut off the question.
After Judge Cannon criticized Routh for the “tenor” and “clear impropriety” of the question, Routh unsuccessfully argued that the question demonstrates he would not follow through with the assassination attempt.
“This whole case revolves around intent and state of mind … whether someone has the capacity [to kill],” Routh argued.
Prosecutors briefly cross-examined McClay to highlight how the weapon’s misfiring could be attributed to testing done on the gun after the shooting. The FBI used acid to try to recover the gun’s serial number, which had been scratched off.
‘That information is relevant’
Because Routh called two witnesses who spoke about character, prosecutors said they may seek to elicit testimony about some of Routh’s other alleged bad acts, including his alleged calls to kill politicians, like Trump, as well as his neighbors in Hawaii; racially offensive statements he allegedly made; and statements prosecutors say he made about his assassination plans in which he allegedly said he was “not going to go down easy for law enforcement” and that he would “shoot first.”
“If the defendant is going to try to develop he is nonviolent, that information is relevant,” prosecutor John Shipley said.
Routh, in earlier court filings, broadly described his defense strategy as emphasizing his “gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity.”
Among the exhibits Routh planned to use were a design for a DIY skatepark, videos and photos showing him recruiting and fundraising for the Ukrainian military, a photo of a flash mob he organized, and a church bulletin from 1980 when he was awarded an Eagle Scout award.
At the conclusion of Routh’s defense, federal prosecutors suggested they might not present a rebuttal case but said they have not made a final decision.
Judge Cannon — who has repeatedly clashed with Routh over his unusual courtroom tactics — curtailed much of Routh’s defense by blocking many of his proposed witnesses, including an ex-girlfriend and several Palestinian scholars, and prohibiting him from arguing that his actions were justified or that he would not have followed through with the assassination attempt.
Routh’s unorthodox defense case follows seven days of testimony from 38 witnesses called by federal prosecutors seeking to prove Routh came within a few hundred yards of killing then-candidate Trump on Sept. 15. Jurors heard from the Secret Service agent who said he spotted Routh hiding in the bushes of Trump’s golf course with an assault rifle, the man who illegally sold the gun to Routh, and a series of law enforcement witnesses who tied Routh’s fingerprints and DNA to the gun abandoned at the crime scene.
FBI agents also testified that Trump would have been less than 130 feet from Routh had Routh not been spotted by a Secret Service agent. Routh’s rifle, they argued, can hit a target ten times that, and the shot could have been made without a scope.
Two brothers who worked with Routh also testified about receiving a box from him in April 2024 — five months before the alleged assassination attempt — that contained wires, pipes, and bullets. After Routh’s arrest, the brothers said they opened the box to find a 12-page letter that prosecutors argue amounts to a confession from Routh.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job,” the handwritten letter said.
Routh has argued that the letter does not describe the alleged assassination attempt.
At the conclusion of the government’s case on Friday, Routh argued that prosecutors had failed to prove their case and that Judge Cannon, who previously oversaw and dismissed one of Trump’s criminal cases, should toss the case. Routh claimed that the area in the bushes where he was allegedly found was a public area where anyone could carry a gun.
“They maybe proved that someone was outside the fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired,” Routh argued.
Judge Cannon denied Routh’s motion, concluding that prosecutors have provided enough evidence to let the jury decide the case.
The U.S. Supreme Court is shown March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. The Trump administration defied a federal judge’s court order this past weekend in a case related to the deportation of more than 200 alleged Tren de Aragua gang members to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act of 1789. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Monday in a 6-3 decision upheld President Donald Trump’s termination of Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter, at least on an interim basis, as the justices said they would expedite a review of the high-stakes dispute over the scope of executive power.
The Supreme Court did not explain its decision, but the move was in line with other recent orders by the conservative majority giving broad deference to the president over staffing of independent agencies that exercise significant executive authority.
Trump removed Slaughter — who was appointed by former President Joe Biden — without cause, citing purely policy differences.
Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented from the decision citing the text of federal law, which only allows the removal of FTC commissioners for cause and a longstanding high court precedent — Humphrey’s Executor v US — which upheld those terms.
“The president cannot, as he concededly did here, fire an FTC Commissioner without any reason,” Kagan wrote in dissent. “To reach a different result requires reversing the rule stated in Humphrey’s: It entails overriding rather than accepting Congress’s judgment about agency design.”
Kagan accused the majority of effectively overruling Humphrey’s on the Supreme Court’s emergency docket without saying so explicitly or holding briefing or argument.
“The majority may be raring to take that action,” Kagan wrote. “But until the deed is done, Humphrey’s controls, and prevents the majority from giving the President the unlimited removal power Congress denied him.”
The justices will take up that precedent directly during a December hearing, examining whether removal protections for members of the FTC violate separation of powers and Humphrey’s overturned, the Court said in its order.
In a separate order, the Court declined to take up expedited appeals by Cathy Harris, a Trump-fired member of the Merit Systems Protection Board, and Gwynne Wilcox, a Trump-fired member of the National Labor Relations Board, both of whom are also contesting the president’s actions under Humphrey’s.
The move suggests the Court plans to use the Slaughter case as the primary vehicle for resolving critical questions of presidential power across more than 50 executive branch independent agencies and corporations.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Gabrielle, which has now rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm, is the second major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Gabrielle, currently located southeast of Bermuda, now has maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.
Gabrielle is also the second tropical system to undergo rapid intensification this year.
On average, the second major hurricane forms around Sept. 19, meaning Gabrielle’s status aligns with what is typically expected during the Atlantic hurricane season.
As the system continues to track over warm waters and favorable atmospheric conditions, Gabrielle could strengthen even more on Monday before it begins to weaken by Wednesday.
There are currently not any tropical alerts for Bermuda as the storm is expected to pass to the east, keeping rain and wind away from the island.
As the storm passes east of Bermuda, Gabrielle will produce large swells and rip currents along the island through early this week.
The storm could also bring rip currents to the East Coast on Monday, with a high risk from the Jersey Shore to the Carolinas, along with parts of Florida’s East Coast.
The hurricane will push northeast and back out to the central Atlantic in the coming days and will weaken in the process. The storm could sweep along or north of the Azores — a group of islands west of Portugal — on Thursday night and Friday.
As of Monday, Gabrielle does not pose a threat to the United States.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
(NASHUA, N.H.) — The suspect in Saturday’s fatal shooting at a country club in Nashua, New Hampshire, is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, according to officials.
Hunter Nadeau, 23, is alleged to have entered the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua and the fired several gunshots, fatally shooting one person, according to the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. Several other people were injured, authorities said.
The victim was named as Robert Steven DeCesare, 59. There was “no known connection” between the suspect and the victim, officials said, as members of DeCesare family grieved for him.
“You’d be hard pressed to find a man more loved, not only by his family but by his many groups of friends from golf, poker and pickleball,” Charlene DeCesare, his wife of 27 years, said in a statement to ABC News.
She added, “I cannot say enough how grateful I am for the outpouring of support from our friends and community. The stellar kindness and professionalism from everyone I have interacted with at Nashua PD and the AG has also been so appreciated.”
Charlene asked the public to stay away from reporting about the shooter’s possible motive. New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella said that the gunman allegedly said several statements during the shooting to “create chaos.”
“I’d also caution everyone to beware the speculation and utter nonsense that is being posted about what happened and why. It’s only making it harder for everyone involved, including the police who are trying to do their job,” Charlene said.
Robert’s mother, Evie O’Rourke, told ABC News affiliate WCVB that her son put himself between the gunman and his family, losing his life to protect them.
“He did what I’m sure was his instinct to do. Like I said, he was facing the shooter, not trying to get away, and that’s what his wife said,” O’Rourke said. “I’m still in shock seeing the shooting, but I know he did this: His thought was to take care of his family.”
Robert was preparing for his daughter’s wedding in six weeks, O’Rourke added.
Nadeau is scheduled to be arraigned on charges related to the shooting at the Nashua Circuit Court at a 1 p.m. ET on Monday, according to a media advisory.
He’s expected to appear via a video link, the advisory said.
An earlier statement from officials said Nadeau would be charged with one count of second-degree murder. “Additional charges likely will be brought, including for the additional shooting victims,” the statement added.
The country club contains a golf course, a wedding venue and a restaurant. Authorities did not specify the exact location of the shooting. Initially, Nashua police said two armed suspects fled the scene of the shooting and that one was at large, but they later said surveillance video confirmed there was only one shooter.
(HOUSTON) — A coach was shot after gunfire erupted at a youth baseball tournament in Texas on Sunday, local authorities said.
The Waller County Sheriff’s Office found the 27-year-old coach shot in the shoulder at The Rac baseball complex in Katy when they responded to multiple firearms complaints around 10 a.m. Sunday, according to authorities.
The coach was airlifted to a nearby hospital and has since been released, officials said.
Video of the incident shows players and coaches running for cover during a match after they hear shots ring out.
According to the sheriff’s office, three people were shooting at targets in the area and fired upon the baseball field.
Corbin Geisendorff, the assistant coach for the Texas Colts, told ABC Houston affiliate ABC13 that the scene was terrifying.
“There was bullets flying everywhere. It wasn’t one shot,” Geisendorff said. “There’s bullets flying everywhere off the poles, onto the field. It’s just unbelievable.”
Geisendorff recalled his interaction with the injured coach, who was working for another team.
“I actually went over to the gentleman and saw him, like, right there. I prayed over him,” Geisendorff said. “There was a gentleman who was already there. They used a belt to tourniquet his arm, you know, stop the bleeding really quick.”
Coaches present at Sunday’s shooting said they heard gunshots the previous morning, but they sounded distant.
The Rac complex issued a statement on Facebook on Sunday night, saying all activities on the fields were suspended until further notice.
“We are taking every step possible to ensure this does not happen again on our property. Any future practices or games at the facility are at a pause until law enforcement and our internal investigation has been completed to ensure the safety of all that visit the facility,” the statement read.
Local authorities have identified three people of interest but have not made any arrests. They said they do not believe it was a targeted shooting.
Aerial view of Trenton New Jersey Skyline featuring state capitol dome of New Jersey. (Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(TRENTON, N.J.) — As New Jersey’s 2025 election for governor — one of only two being held in the country this year — approaches, the candidates are grappling with whether the race is a bellwether for how voters feel about President Donald Trump, the upcoming battle for the U.S. House in the 2026 midterms, and the more general national sentiment against incumbent leaders.
In other words: as goes the Garden State, so goes the nation?
“All eyes in the United States are going to be on New Jersey. This looks like the most competitive race, certainly of one of magnitude in the country,” Daniel Bowen, a political science professor at The College of New Jersey, told ABC News.
On the Republican ticket, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli is making a third try for the office and hopes to flip the state’s governorship currently held by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run for a third consecutive term. On the Democratic ticket is U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who beat out a crowded primary field in June and now looks to keep New Jersey’s governorship blue.
“I understand why people say there’s national implications here. There’s only two governor races in the entire country this year,” Ciatterelli told ABC News in a recent interview.
“But this is all about New Jersey’s future and that’s where I keep my focus. My only concern is fixing New Jersey … as I go around the state, that’s exactly what people want to hear. That’s exactly what people want.”
Sherrill, in a statement to ABC News, brought up her campaign aims of helping with affordability and accountability, while also framing the race as having national stakes.
“New Jerseyans know what’s at stake in this election, and we know that the nation is watching,” Sherrill said. “We can choose to elect a Trump lackey who is going to do whatever the President says, and make New Jerseyans foot the bill, or we can chart a different path forward… by delivering for working families, we’re laying the groundwork for Democrats in 2026 and beyond.”
The race could measure how voters are looking for change, Bowen told ABC News, given that “a fact of politics in 2025 is this distrust of politicians, distrust of those in power, dissatisfaction with where things are, and that could advantage an opposition candidate,” which could help Republicans in the state campaigning against New Jersey’s currently Democratic-controlled government.
But at the same time, Bowen added, “if you think of trying to react against the way things are going right now, who is determining the way things are going? Well, that’s largely being set by the federal government and the Trump administration. So your response isn’t necessarily to the state government. It’s probably more likely going to be the response to the federal government.”
The question of who voters are seeing as the “incumbent” played out during Sunday night’s gubernatorial debate, one of two where Ciattarelli and Sherrill are facing off. Sherrill, for instance, occasionally brought up Trump, and at one point criticized Ciatterelli’s praise of parts of the president’s signature tax and policy bill.
“I’m sure he would like you to focus on those four things, because he doesn’t want you to focus on his tariff plan, which is putting small businesses out of business … In every single way, we’re seeing costs go up on New Jersey families and Jack just says he has nothing he disagrees with Donald Trump on,” she said.
But Ciattarelli later tied Sherrill to incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy and the current Democratic control of the state, which he framed as causing disillusionment and challenges for New Jerseyans.
“Their party’s been in control [of the state legislature] for 25 years, and they’ve had the executive branch for eight years. But you don’t hear her, you don’t hear my opponent criticizing the current [New Jersey] administration, or the 25 year reign of the Democrats,” he said.
The governor’s race in New Jersey is projected to see $140 million in ad spending, an expected 268% increase over spending in the state’s 2021 gubernatorial race, according to media tracking agency AdImpact. The agency has also tracked millions more spending in support of Sherrill than of Ciatterelli as of mid-September.
Those ads are playing for unaffiliated voters as well, which number over 2 million in New Jersey.
“The independent vote is really a material part of New Jersey’s political history … the fact that New Jersey has gone, and the governor’s mansion, from red to blue to red to blue,” Keith Norman, vice president for political practice at LG Ad Solutions, told ABC News. “It’s a state that doesn’t typically see one party holding the office consistently.”
Republicans point to 2024 as a sign they can flip the governorship. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won New Jersey by around 6 percentage points in 2024, even though Joe Biden won the state by about 16 percentage points in 2020.
The campaigns are also working to reach the large number of voters around the state who don’t have traditional over-the-air TV or cable, and can target New Jerseyans using streaming platforms and internet-connected TV more precisely.
Off the airwaves, meanwhile, both sides are running large ground games to turn out the vote.
Kate Gibbs, the executive director of the New Jersey Republican Party, told ABC News that the party aims to knock on 1.2 million doors, is working with every local GOP organization, and is trying to narrow the gap between New Jersey’s registered Democratic and Republican voters.
As of the beginning of September, there were over 860,000 more registered Democrats in New Jersey than Republicans, according to data from the New Jersey Department of State.)
And Gibbs says the party feels voters are anti-incumbent towards the current governor: “What we’re hearing overwhelmingly is that people think the state’s on the wrong track and that they want change.”
The Sherrill campaign, meanwhile, says it has contacted over 1.7 million voters since the primary, knocked on almost 150,000 doors, and gotten donations from all 21 counties.
Members of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service police provide security as Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, is brought before a judge at the federal courthouse for an initial appearance on September 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Ryan Routh, who is representing himself as he faces charges of trying to kill Donald Trump on his West Palm Beach golf course last year, rested his defense at his trial in Florida Monday.
Routh called three witnesses, two of whom testified about his character. He declined to testify in his own defense.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Routh, who lacks any legal education or experience, began his defense with a meandering direct examination of a firearms expert who tested the weapon allegedly used for the assassination attempt.
Routh attempted to focus his questions on the low likelihood that his assassination attempt would be successful because of issues with his weapon and the location of his alleged sniper perch.
Michael McClay, a Marine Corps veteran and expert in sniper tactics, noted that the firearm — a Chinese-made variant of the AK-47 — would routinely misfire, that the rifle’s scope appeared to be secured with a combination of putty, tape, and glue, that Routh was poorly camouflaged, and that hitting a target from 300 yards away would be difficult.
“Is there any way you could put a chance of success rate?” Routh asked.
“With the severity and seriousness of this, I am not going to guess that,” McClay responded.
“I respect that,” Routh said.
Despite McClay testifying as a defense witness, he appeared to be confused by many of Routh’s questions and declined to answer at times.
“Did you suffer mental anguish from being shot at?” Routh asked McClay, a veteran who saw combat.
“I don’t wish to answer that,” McClay said.
The main thrust of Routh’s direct examination of McClay was Routh’s suggestion that the assassination attempt would have failed due to his own incompetence and his being a self-described “coward.” Prosecutors had argued that Routh planned his attempt for months and set up a sniper’s perch with body armor to ensure that he would be able to shoot Trump.
“If someone is not dedicated to their mission 100%, is an exit plan vital to those who are cowards?” he asked McClay.
“I don’t understand,” McClay said.
“In your experience in the military, does it take a special type of person to take another person’s life?” Routh asked, prompting Judge Aileen Cannon to cut off the question.
After Judge Cannon criticized Routh for the “tenor” and “clear impropriety” of the question, Routh unsuccessfully argued that the question demonstrates he would not follow through with the assassination attempt.
“This whole case revolves around intent and state of mind … whether someone has the capacity [to kill],” Routh argued.
Prosecutors briefly cross-examined McClay to highlight how the weapon’s misfiring could be attributed to testing done on the gun after the shooting. The FBI used acid to try to recover the gun’s serial number, which had been scratched off.
Because Routh called two witnesses who spoke about character, prosecutors said they may seek to elicit testimony about some of Routh’s other alleged bad acts, including his alleged calls to kill politicians, like Trump, as well as his neighbors in Hawaii; racially offensive statements he allegedly made; and statements prosecutors say he made about his assassination plans in which he allegedly said he was “not going to go down easy for law enforcement” and that he would “shoot first.”
“If the defendant is going to try to develop he is nonviolent, that information is relevant,” prosecutor John Shipley said.
Routh, in earlier court filings, broadly described his defense strategy as emphasizing his “gentleness, peacefulness, and nonviolent caring for humanity.”
Among the exhibits Routh planned to use were a design for a DIY skatepark, videos and photos showing him recruiting and fundraising for the Ukrainian military, a photo of a flash mob he organized, and a church bulletin from 1980 when he was awarded an Eagle Scout award.
At the conclusion of Routh’s defense, federal prosecutors suggested they might not present a rebuttal case but said they have not made a final decision.
Judge Cannon — who has repeatedly clashed with Routh over his unusual courtroom tactics — curtailed much of Routh’s defense by blocking many of his proposed witnesses, including an ex-girlfriend and several Palestinian scholars, and prohibiting him from arguing that his actions were justified or that he would not have followed through with the assassination attempt.
Routh’s unorthodox defense case follows seven days of testimony from 38 witnesses called by federal prosecutors seeking to prove Routh came within a few hundred yards of killing then-candidate Trump on Sept. 15. Jurors heard from the Secret Service agent who said he spotted Routh hiding in the bushes of Trump’s golf course with an assault rifle, the man who illegally sold the gun to Routh, and a series of law enforcement witnesses who tied Routh’s fingerprints and DNA to the gun abandoned at the crime scene.
FBI agents also testified that Trump would have been less than 130 feet from Routh had Routh not been spotted by a Secret Service agent. Routh’s rifle, they argued, can hit a target ten times that, and the shot could have been made without a scope.
Two brothers who worked with Routh also testified about receiving a box from him in April 2024 — five months before the alleged assassination attempt — that contained wires, pipes, and bullets. After Routh’s arrest, the brothers said they opened the box to find a 12-page letter that prosecutors argue amounts to a confession from Routh.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job,” the handwritten letter said.
Routh has argued that the letter does not describe the alleged assassination attempt.
At the conclusion of the government’s case on Friday, Routh argued that prosecutors had failed to prove their case and that Judge Cannon, who previously oversaw and dismissed one of Trump’s criminal cases, should toss the case. Routh claimed that the area in the bushes where he was allegedly found was a public area where anyone could carry a gun.
“They maybe proved that someone was outside the fence with a gun, but the gun was never fired,” Routh argued.
Judge Cannon denied Routh’s motion, concluding that prosecutors have provided enough evidence to let the jury decide the case.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Gabrielle, which has now rapidly intensified into a major Category 3 storm, is the second major hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Gabrielle, currently located southeast of Bermuda, now has maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
Gabrielle is also the second tropical system to undergo rapid intensification this year.
On average, the second major hurricane forms around Sept. 19, meaning Gabrielle’s status aligns with what is typically expected during the Atlantic hurricane season.
As the system continues to track over warm waters and favorable atmospheric conditions, Gabrielle could strengthen even more on Monday before it begins to weaken by Wednesday.
There are currently not any tropical alerts for Bermuda as the storm is expected to pass to the east, keeping rain and wind away from the island.
As the storm passes east of Bermuda, Gabrielle will produce large swells and rip currents along the island through early this week.
The hurricane will push northeast and back out to the central Atlantic in the coming days and will weaken in the process. The storm could sweep along or north of the Azores — a group of islands west of Portugal — on Thursday night and Friday.
As of Monday, Gabrielle does not pose a threat to the United States.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.
Tiona Islar has been arrested on charges of injury to a child. Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
(SAN ANTONIO) — Authorities in San Antonio are investigating the apparent hot car deaths of a 3-year-old girl and her 6-year-old brother after the local sheriff said there were “inconsistencies with the story” told by the children’s mom.
The mother, Tiona Islar, allegedly told authorities she last saw her son and daughter in the home around 10 a.m. Saturday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said. Islar said she fell asleep, and then around 3 p.m. she found the children in the car and took them inside, Salazar said. Authorities were called around 3:25 p.m., the sheriff said.
A responding deputy “was simultaneously trying to perform CPR on both children, but unfortunately was not successful,” Salazar said. The siblings were pronounced dead at the scene, Salazar said.
Islar, 28, has been arrested on charges of injury to a child, according to the sheriff’s office.
Islar was “mostly cooperative” when taken in for questioning on Saturday, the sheriff told reporters, but he added the circumstances surroundings the deaths were not clear.
“The initial report was for, that the children were left in a car,” the sheriff said on Saturday. “However … there just are some inconsistencies with the story that we’re being given.”
“Something’s not adding up with this case,” Salazar said.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson said on Monday that authorities are still investigating and they’re awaiting the cause and manner of death from the medical examiner.
At least 29 children have died in hot cars in the U.S. this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org. At least 1,159 children have died in hot cars since 1990.
Salazar warned, “Every second counts when you’re talking about a child in a hot car.”
“If you come upon a child locked in a car, make every intent to open the doors initially,” he told reporters. “If they’re locked, at that point, it’s safe to say, break a window, do whatever you have to do to get that kid out of there.”
