Trump assassination attempt suspect pleads not guilty

The man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course has pleaded not guilty to the charges in a federal court.

Prosecutors say Ryan Routh, 58, was spotted with a rifle as he hid in the bushes near Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach.

A Secret Service officer protecting the former president allegedly spotted his rifle barrel poking through a fence and opened fire. Routh fled and was later arrested on Interstate 95, a main highway through the state.

In addition to the attempted assassination of Trump, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, Routh has been charged with two firearms offences.