• Ryan Routh can represent himself at his trial for attempted assassination of President Trump.
• U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon expressed skepticism about Routh's decision.
• Routh's attorneys sought to withdraw from the case due to communication issues with him.
• Routh faces several serious charges, including attempted assassination and assaulting a federal officer.
• The trial is scheduled to begin on September 8.

Ryan Routh, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump last year at his Florida golf course, will be allowed to represent himself at his upcoming trial, according to CBS News. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh's request, while also mandating that court-appointed attorneys remain available as standby counsel. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.

During the pre-trial hearing, Routh argued that his attorneys were diligent, yet he felt they did not listen to him, stating that he was "a million miles apart" from their understanding of his case, according to Los Angeles Times and India Times. Judge Cannon warned Routh that representing himself could be a misguided decision, emphasizing that his lawyers would have provided superior representation.

Routh, who claims to have two years of college education following his GED, wrote in a letter that he felt alienated from his public defenders, who had requested to withdraw from the case due to his refusal to meet with them, as reported by HuffPost. The judge acknowledged the breakdown of the attorney-client relationship but stressed that the defenders were competent and capable of representing Routh’s interests effectively.

Prosecutors assert that Routh methodically planned the assassination attempt, aiming an AK-47-style rifle through shrubbery as Trump played golf at his West Palm Beach country club on September 15 of the previous year, as described by BBC News and Los Angeles Times. A Secret Service agent detected the rifle before Trump was visible, prompting the agent to fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee.

In addition to the federal charges, Routh faces state charges of terrorism and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence for attempting to assassinate a major political candidate, as outlined by India Times and HuffPost. The trial is scheduled to commence on September 8.