A journalism error occurred when the New York Times pre-published the wrong verdict for would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh’s federal trial. The outlet mistakenly released an article claiming Routh was acquitted, but later corrected it with the accurate verdict of guilty on all charges.
In journalism, outlets often pre-write obituaries, election outcomes and potential court verdicts of major cases before they occur, using the basic facts of the story and adding whatever key details are essential on the day of. This practice is intended to ensure that news organizations are prepared should an event take a specific turn, but it can also lead to errors when the actual outcome differs from the pre-written version. The incident involving the New York Times serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of such pre-writing, particularly in high-profile and politically sensitive cases like a trial of an individual accused of attempting to assassinate a former president.
Routh, an itinerant building contractor, was accused of an attempted assassination on Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. He faced five federal counts, including attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple firearms offenses. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. After being found guilty, Routh reportedly tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen before four U.S. Marshals restrained him.
A screenshot indicated that the New York Times accidentally published a headline,