On September 15, 2024, former U.S. President Donald Trump narrowly survived a second assassination attempt, an event that once again underscored the grim reality of violence in American political life. His survival adds his name to the long and unsettling list of presidents and former presidents who have faced life-threatening attacks. These moments are not isolated—they form a disturbing pattern that stretches across the nation’s history, reminding Americans of the risks that come with occupying or even having occupied the highest office in the land.
Since the United States was founded, forty-five men have served as president. Startlingly, nearly 40 percent of them have faced assassination attempts. Four were fatally struck down while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Others were injured or narrowly spared by chance or the intervention of bystanders. Each attack tells a story of discontent, obsession, or personal grievance, but all serve as reminders that the presidency is not just a political role but a dangerous one.
Presidents, by the nature of their position, are more than individuals. They become symbols—living embodiments of the nation’s values, policies, and direction. Admiration from supporters comes with equal and opposite hostility from detractors.
For some, attacking a president or former president becomes a twisted way of making a statement or leaving a mark on history. Recent events involving Trump reflect this dangerous dynamic. In July 2024, he was injured in a shooting during a rally in Pennsylvania, an attack that sent shockwaves across the political spectrum. Just months later, while playing golf in Florida, his security team exchanged fire with an armed suspect in another attempt on his life. These incidents are modern echoes of a historical pattern where presidents repeatedly find themselves at the center of targeted violence.
Firearms have been the most common weapon in presidential assassination attempts. With few exceptions, almost every assailant throughout history has been male. Their motives, however, have varied widely. Some acted out of political anger or revolutionary zeal. Others were driven by delusions, personal vendettas, or misguided attempts at notoriety. In Trump’s case, what stands out is that both recent attackers were reportedly former supporters who had turned against him—an unusual twist compared to older historical examples where most assailants were ideological opponents rather than disillusioned followers.
History offers sobering lessons about how fragile leadership can be in the face of violence.
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 was not a lone act of hatred but part of a broader conspiracy. That same night, Secretary of State William Seward was stabbed in his own home, though he survived. Vice President Andrew Johnson was also targeted, though his attacker lost his nerve. The conspiracy aimed to decapitate the Union government in a single night, plunging the country into chaos at the end of the Civil War. The plan ultimately failed, but it underscored how the removal of a single figurehead could be perceived as a path to destabilization.