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Judge Aileen Cannon says there's 'no valid basis for recusal' in Trump assassination attempt case

Ryan Routh sought Cannon's recusal, citing her appointment to federal bench by Trump

A federal judge who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump said she will not recuse herself in the case involving a man charged with trying to kill the former president.

By: Scott Sutton , CNN Newsource

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and last updated

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A federal judge who was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump said she will not recuse herself in the case involving a man charged with trying to kill the former president.

Earlier this month, the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, asked Judge Aileen Cannon to step down from the case, claiming that she could not be impartial.

Cannon, who also presided over Trump's classified documents case and ultimately decided to dismiss it, was randomly assigned to the case against Routh last month.

The judge said in her ruling that she has "never spoken to or met former President Trump except in connection with his required presence at an official judicial proceeding, through counsel. I have no 'relationship to the alleged victim' in any reasonable sense of the phrase."

Read Cannon's full ruling denying Routh's motion for recusal:

Routh's attorneys claimed that Trump has repeatedly praised Cannon by name after her decision to dismiss the classified case against him – including during the Republican National Convention – and noted that Trump "as the alleged victim here" has "a significant stake in the outcome of this case."

Cannon ended her motion by saying she saw "no valid basis for recusal."

Routh has been charged with five counts, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. He pleaded not guilty to all charges late last month.

The trial is scheduled to be held on Feb. 10 at the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce — the same courthouse where Trump's attorneys argued before Cannon in the classified documents case.

More of WPTV's coverage of the Trump assassination attempt: