U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Wednesday sentenced Ryan Routh to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at Trump’s Florida golf course in September 2024.

In imposing the sentence, Cannon sharply condemned Routh’s actions, describing him as “evil,”.  She ordered Routh to serve life in prison, plus an additional seven years tied to a second count in the indictment.

The judge also praised law enforcement officers and witnesses for their roles in stopping the attack and bringing Routh to justice.

“Despite all the evil we see, there is a sliver of hope, a sliver of light,” Cannon said from the bench.

Routh attempted to use his opportunity to address the court to speak about Ukraine and other topics unrelated to the case, but Cannon cut him off. He remained composed as the sentence was read and, before being led out of the courtroom, smiled and blew a kiss toward his siblings seated in attendance, WPBF reported.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that Routh carried out a “despicable attack on our democratic system,” adding that the sentence demonstrates the justice system “will not tolerate such heinous attacks.”

Routh’s defense attorney said an appeal will be filed, arguing that Routh never intended to harm Trump and should not have been allowed to represent himself during the trial.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, saying Routh “painstakingly plotted to kill President Trump” and took significant steps toward carrying out the attack. A jury convicted him last year on five federal counts related to the assassination attempt.