Donald Trump Shot During Pennsylvania Rally: An Overview of Historic Presidential Assassination Attempts in the U.S.
There have been several instances of political violence targeting U.S. presidents, former presidents, and major party presidential candidates throughout the nation’s history. Four U.S. presidents have been assassinated by gunfire. On July 13, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump was shot in the ear. This incident has once again brought attention to the history of political violence in the United States.
The Incident: Donald Trump Shot
During a campaign rally on July 13, Donald Trump was shot in the ear while addressing a gathering in Butler, Pennsylvania. Witnesses reported seeing Trump clutch his ear and drop to the ground as Secret Service agents rushed to cover him. Trump later stood up with blood on the side of his face, appearing to say “fight, fight” while pumping his fist. In a social media post, Trump explained that he was hit by a “bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear” and described hearing a whizzing sound before feeling the bullet rip through his skin.
This incident marks a significant security lapse and could potentially reshape this year’s presidential race amid concerns that the campaign could descend into political violence. However, this is not the first time a U.S. president or presidential candidate has been targeted. There have been multiple instances of political violence throughout American history. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable cases:
Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)
Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln while he and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, attended a special performance of the comedy “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, was motivated by Lincoln’s advocacy for Black rights. Booth was found hiding in a barn near Bowling Green, Virginia, and was shot on April 26, 1865.
James A. Garfield (20th U.S. President)
James A. Garfield was assassinated within six months of taking office. On July 2, 1881, Charles Guiteau shot Garfield as he walked through a train station in Washington, D.C. Garfield remained critically injured and stayed at the White House for several weeks before dying in September after being transported to the New Jersey shore.
William McKinley (25th U.S. President)
William McKinley was shot on September 1, 1901, after giving a speech in Buffalo, New York, by Leon F. Czolgosz, an unemployed 28-year-old doctor. Czolgosz fired two shots into McKinley’s chest at point-blank range while the president was shaking hands with people. Initially, doctors anticipated McKinley’s recovery, but he died on September 14 due to complications from gangrene around the bullet wounds.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd U.S. President)
Before assuming office, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in February 1933. While giving a speech in Miami from the back of an open car, gunshots rang out, killing Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. Roosevelt was unharmed. Giuseppe Zangara was convicted of the shooting and sentenced to death.
Harry S. Truman (33rd U.S. President)
In November 1950, two gunmen attempted to assassinate Harry S. Truman while he was staying at Blair House, across the street from the White House. Although Truman was not injured, a White House policeman and one of the assailants were killed in the exchange of gunfire, and two other White House policemen were wounded.
John F. Kennedy (35th U.S. President)
John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. A hidden assassin, armed with a high-powered rifle, fatally shot Kennedy as he rode in a motorcade with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Kennedy was rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he died shortly after. Police later arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, who was accused of firing the shots from the Texas School Book Depository. Oswald was fatally shot two days later while being transferred to the county jail.
Gerald Ford (38th U.S. President)
Gerald Ford faced two assassination attempts within a few weeks in 1975 but was not hurt in either incident. The attempts underscored the ongoing risks faced by U.S. presidents even in more recent times.
Ronald Reagan (40th U.S. President)
Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981, as he left a speech in Washington, D.C. Hinckley, who was in the crowd, fired six shots, hitting Reagan and three other people, including Press Secretary James Brady, who was partially paralyzed. Reagan recovered after being rushed to the hospital.
George W. Bush (43rd U.S. President)
In 2005, George W. Bush was attending a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, when a hand grenade was thrown toward him. Both Bush and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili were behind a bulletproof barrier, and the grenade, which landed about 100 feet away, did not explode. No one was hurt.
Theodore Roosevelt (Presidential Candidate)
Former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee in 1912 while campaigning to return to the White House. Roosevelt had previously served two terms as president and was running as a third-party candidate. Folded papers and a metal glasses case in his pocket blunted the bullet’s impact, and Roosevelt was not seriously hurt.
Robert F. Kennedy (Presidential Candidate)
Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. senator from New York and the brother of President John F. Kennedy, was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination when he was assassinated on June 5, 1968. Moments after giving a victory speech for winning the California primary, Kennedy was shot in a Los Angeles hotel. Five other people were wounded in the shooting.
George C. Wallace (Presidential Candidate)
George C. Wallace was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972 when he was shot during a campaign stop in Maryland. The incident left Wallace paralyzed. Arthur Bremer was convicted of the shooting and sentenced to prison. He was released in 2007.
These incidents highlight the persistent threat of political violence in the U.S. and the extraordinary measures needed to protect political leaders. The shooting of Donald Trump at his Pennsylvania rally is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those in the political arena and the importance of ensuring their safety.
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