Before Trump’s Almost Assassination: A Timeline of US Presidential Assassination Attempts
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Alaina
- . July 15, 2024
- . Update: July 15, 2024 5:29 pm
During a campaign rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, former US President Donald Trump was wounded in an attempted assassination. The Saturday event has rocked the country and reminded many of the deadly threats U.S. officials have endured over history.
A bullet striking Trump in the right ear resulted in obvious bleeding on his ear and cheek. Security guards swiftly led him off the platform and to a safe spot. First accounts indicate Trump is safe and healing from his injuries. The incident has been classified by the FBI as an attempted assassination; investigations are under progress to capture the accountable parties.
A Grim Record of Presidential Assumptions
With four sitting presidents killed and many more attempts directed on the life of presidents, contenders, and political leaders, the United States has a legacy of violence against its leaders. Here are a few very noteworthy cases:
Abraham Lincoln: The First Presidential Target Killing
Attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, DC, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, was slain in 1865. Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the rear of the head. Lincoln passed the following morning even on medical therapy. Booth left the scene and subsequently turned up hiding in a Virginia barn, where Union troops shot and killed him.
James Garfield: assassinated following just four months in office
Discontent office seeking Charles Guiteau shot James Garfield, the 20th president, at a Washington, DC, train station in 1881. Garfield was attacked while just in office for four months. Two and a half months later, despite attempts to save him, his wounds claimed him. Found convicted, Guiteau executed the next year.
William McKinley: At the Pan-American Exposition, a Tragic End
anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot 25th president William McKinley at point-blank range during a public ceremony at Buffalo, New York in 1901. McKinley died eight days later, although at first he seemed to be healing from the bullet wounds. Gangrene set in. Czolgosz was quickly tried and put to death.
John F. Kennedy: The Killing That stunned the World
Riding in a motorcade across Dallas, Texas, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, was slain in 1963. Lee Harvey Oswald fired the lethal rounds from an adjacent structure. Kennedy was declared dead soon after arriving even though he was sent to a hospital. Oswald was apprehended, but Jack Ruby, the proprietor of a nightclub, killed him two days later, leading to many conspiracy theories still running strong today.
Around one minute before he was shot, President John F Kennedy waves from his car in a motorcade.
Surviving Attempts at Assassination
Several U.S. presidents have survived assassination attempts, therefore highlighting both the fortitude of these leaders and the ongoing peril under which they work.
Theodore Roosevelt: An interrupted speech by a bullet
A would-be assassin shot former President Theodore Roosevelt in the breast in Milwaukee in 1912 when he was running for the presidency. Remarkably, Roosevelt insisted on giving his address before visiting a doctor, memorably declaring, “It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.” The bullet was stuck in his body all of his life.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: a Miami Near Miss
Franklin D. Roosevelt just avoided an attempt at murder in Miami, Florida in 1933. Italian immigrant Giuseppe Zangara fired bullets at Roosevelt, missing. Rather, the shots landed and claimed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak dead. Zangara was executed shortly after being caught.
Ronald Reagan: A Washington brush with death
John Hinckley Jr., outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC, shot Ronald Reagan in 1981. Reagan’s left lung was penetrated by the bullet, which also just missed his heart. Reagan recovered fully even with the degree of his injuries. Found not guilty by reason of insanity, Hinckley spent decades in a mental hospital before being freed under close supervision.
Gerald Ford: Two tries in less than a month
Within seventeen days in 1975, Gerald Ford escaped two assassination attempts. The first came from Sacramento, California, follower of Charles Manson Lynette “Squeaky”. Sara Jane Moore made a second try in San Francisco. Both women received life in jail, underscoring the great scrutiny and security issues seated presidents deal with.
The Unfortunate Attempts on Other American Leaders
Apart from the presidents, various other political leaders have also had attempts at murder with different results.
Robert F. Kennedy: A campaign cut short
Shortly after making a victory speech, younger brother of John F. Kennedy Robert F. Kennedy, a U.S. presidential candidate, was killed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968. Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan was arrested on scene and subsequently condemned to life in prison.
George Wallace: Frozen in the Presidential Pursuit
While campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972, Alabama Governor George C. Wallace was wounded and rendered wheelchair bound from the waist down. Arthur Bremer, his attacker, was found guilty and sentenced to 63 years in jail. Although Wallace was a powerful player in American politics, his injury seriously affected his political career.
Gun laws and presidential security
The several violent episodes directed against American presidents have spurred continuous discussions about presidential security and gun regulations. Although the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment grants the freedom to bear guns, this right is subject to restrictions meant to prevent violence and guarantee public safety.
Federal Firearms Legislation
Sales, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition are governed by federal statutes. Important laws include the Gun Control Act of 1968, which forbids some people—including felons and those with mental illness—from buying firearms and mandates licensing for gun dealers. This Act also requires licensed sellers to preserve records. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 is another important law requiring background checks for gun buyers from approved vendors. But private sales and gun show purchases usually go unpackled under such scrutiny, opening a gap that gun control supporters try to plug. From 1994 until 2004, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban forbade the manufacturing for civilian use of some semi-automatic rifles categorized as assault weapons as well as large-capacity ammunition magazines. Although it expired in 2004, calls have been made for either replacement or renewal.
State Variations
States have quite different gun rules. Some states have tight laws covering bans on assault weapons, required waiting times, and prohibitions on public carrying of weapons. Others have more lenient regulations, with few limits on gun ownership and carry licenses. Many times, this patchwork of laws sparks discussions about the efficacy of gun control policies and how they affect public safety.
Keep On Reading
Improving Presidential Safety
Protection of the president and other well-known officials falls to the Secret Service. Following well-publicized assassination attempts, security systems have been constantly improved with modern technology, thorough threat assessments, and thorough agent training included. These steps comprise enhanced screening procedures at public events and public appearances to identify and discourage possible hazards, the use of cutting-edge surveillance tools and techniques to track for suspicious activity, specialized teams equipped to react swiftly and successfully to any security threat, and regular evaluations of possible threats to guarantee that security measures are suitably tailored to current risk.
Conclusion
The latest attempt at murder on Donald Trump serves as a sobering reminder of the always lurking threats U.S. leaders must deal with. As the country considers this most recent event, it also goes back over the larger historical background of violence against its political leaders. Maintaining the safety of public office holders remains a top priority that calls constant attention and strong security policies. As Americans try to strike a balance between their constitutional rights and the demand for public safety, the arguments about gun control laws and presidential security are probably going to get more heated.
