NYT accidentally pre-published wrong verdict for trial of would-be Trump assassin

Would-be Trump assassin Ryan Routh was declared guilty on Tuesday on all charges, but The New York Times accidentally published the wrong article.

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. 

However, a screenshot indicated that the New York Times accidentally published a headline, "Man Found Not Guilty of Trying to Assassinate Trump in Florida." The lede of the now-scrubbed article added, "In a surprise verdict, a federal jury acquitted Ryan Routh of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate last year. The screenshot also indicated that the article would be published in the print edition on September 24, 2025. 

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Podcast host and Fox News contributor Mary Katharine Ham posted the screenshot and wrote, "Just searched Ryan Routh's name @nytimes and got this result in the first head and subhead. I get it y'all have some kind of prewrite, but why is it preloaded? Routh was just convicted on all charges. Let's make sure that's the print edition tomorrow."

Raw Story writer Sarah Burris was shocked that this outcome was even considered possible, asking, "In what world does even a pre-writer think he would be not-guilty?"

The New York Times quickly updated the article with the new headline, "Man Found Guilty of Trying to Assassinate Trump in Florida." The lede reads, "A federal jury convicted Ryan Routh, an itinerant building contractor, of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate last September."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for The New York Times said, "Ahead of some newsworthy events like courtroom verdicts, The Times and many other news organizations make preparations for different possible outcomes. An earlier version of this article was published inadvertently with a pre-written version of a not guilty verdict; it was replaced with the correct version less than a minute later, and a correction was added to explain what happened. As the current version makes clear, Mr. Routh was found guilty on all five counts against him."

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In the interest of being current, there have been numerous high-profile cases where outlets got the outcome of major stories wrong. In 1948, the Chicago Daily Tribune famously ran the incorrect front-page headline "Dewey Defeats Truman." 

"South Park," known for remaining on top of current political and pop culture happenings—sometimes completing shows just hours before they air—had to scrap a prewritten episode and write a new one after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Routh was accused of an attempted assassination on President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in September 2024. Routh 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.  

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After the verdict was read, Routh reportedly tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen before four U.S. Marshals restrained him.