Shadow Of Violence: The Ever-Present Threat To American Political Leaders

The assassination bid of Donald Trump last week has sent the global political corridors into a tizzy. It also serves as a reminder of the political violence and attempts at life of presidents and presidential candidates throughout the history of the United States.

Former President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (June 13). He said he was “fine” after the incident. Secret Service agents shot and killed the attacker and another person at the event also died. The authorities have listed the incident as an assassination bid.

Throughout US history, political violence has often prompted changes in security measures. The assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield and William McKinley eventually led to the Secret Service protection for the president. The assassination of President John F Kennedy resulted in even tighter security. Former President Gerald Ford faced two assassination attempts within just 18 days. Additionally, early in his presidency in 1981, Ronald Reagan was seriously injured when he was shot at by a gunman.

Almost every modern US president has faced assassination attempts, with the Secret Service stopping most of them. A few attempts resulted in injury. Political violence also claimed the lives of such global leaders as Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.

Even before the recent incident involving former President Trump, polls showed that voters were worried about potential violence related to this year’s presidential election. A Bloomberg News and Morning Consult poll conducted in May in swing states found that half of the voters had these concerns. This included about equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, with Independents even more likely to share these fears.

US President: Assassination Attempts - A Dark History

Here is a look at some earlier attempts on the lives of US presidents and presidential candidates:

Earlier Attempt On Trump’s Life: During Trump’s 2016 campaign, a 20-year-old British man attempted to grab a gun from a police officer at a rally in Las Vegas. He later confessed to the authorities that he intended to kill Trump and, subsequently, pleaded guilty to federal charges for breaking laws related to the possession or use of firearms and for causing a disturbance at the rally.

John Hinckley’s Attack On Ronald Reagan: On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr fired six shots at President Reagan in Washington, hitting him and three others. The president was seriously injured but recovered after emergency surgery. The other three victims also survived. Hinckley was quickly arrested and stayed in a psychiatric hospital until 2016, 12 years after Reagan’s death.

Two Bids on Gerald Ford’s Life:  On September 5, 1975, Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson — known for orchestrating several brutal murders in the late 1960s — tried to shoot President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, California. Just three weeks after Fromme’s attempt, another woman, named Sara Jane Moore, fired a shot at Ford in San Francisco. These incidents made Fromme and Moore the most notable female would-be assassins in US history.

Assassination Of John F Kennedy: On November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President John F Kennedy in Dallas. This event still fuels debates about whether Oswald acted alone. Two days after the assassination, Oswald was killed by a nightclub owner, named Jack Ruby.

Assassination Of Robert F Kennedy: On June 5, 1968, Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Robert F Kennedy, who was then a candidate in the Democratic primaries, in Los Angeles. This happened less than five years after the assassination of his elder brother, President John F Kennedy. Sirhan was sentenced to life in prison. Robert F Kennedy’s son, Robert F Kennedy (Jr) is running as an Independent presidential candidate in 2024.

Assassination Bid On Theodore Roosevelt: On October 14, 1912, former President Theodore Roosevelt was campaigning to return to the White House when he was shot while delivering a speech in Milwaukee. The bullet was slowed down by the 50-page text of his speech and a case in his pocket meant for his spectacles. Despite being injured, Roosevelt continued his speech and later recovered. He eventually lost the election to Woodrow Wilson. The court found attacker John Schrank ‘legally insane’ and institutionalized him till his death.

Assassination Of William McKinley: On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot at in Buffalo, New York, and later died from his injuries. This event led to Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt becoming president. The assassin, anarchist Leon Czolgosz, was convicted and executed for the crime.

Assassination Of James A Garfield: On July 2, 1881, President James A Garfield was shot in Washington, DC. He died two months later from complications related to his wounds. Writer-lawyer Charles Guiteau, pronounced guilty of the crime, was sentenced to death.

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed in Washington, DC, by John Wilkes Booth, a famous actor and Confederate supporter. Booth was killed nearly two weeks later after a manhunt.

(Girish Linganna is a Defence, Aerospace And Political Analyst based out of Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. The views expressed in this article are of the author only.)