Four U.S. presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Additionally, 2 other presidents have survived assassination attempts, including Ronald Reagan, and Andrew Jackson; but both survived. Recently, the former 45th president who is also a current candidate, Donald Trump, has become the 8th president to be involved in an assassination attempt. However, the only other president to survive two presidential assassination attempts was Gerard Ford in 1975. But there has been a lot of controversy stirring over these latest attempts. So let’s look deeper into what happened.
On July 13th, a rally in Pennsylvania turned gruesome. The former president Donald Trump was shot in his right ear. It’s said the man who was firing the shots not only wounded Trump’s ear but also killed one spectator as well as critically harming two others. As the initial shots were first heard, spectators of the rally screamed, and Trump appeared to duck swiftly- but not swift enough. “The assassin’s bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life.” Trump later told the public at a convention in Milwaukee. As far as the assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks used an AR–15–style rifle and shot from a nearby rooftop. No one knew a set motive for the reason he attempted to assassinate Trump- and he was killed by a Secret Service Counter Sniper Team soon after the shots were fired.
Moreover, on September 15th, the second near-assassination attempt on Trump’s life occurred. At the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, a gunman was spotted by Secret Service agents. About 300-500 yards away, the gunman was poking a SKS semi-automatic through the shrubs of the course. The Secret Service Agents were quick, and fired at the gunman quickly after spotting him. The gunman ran, abandoning his weapon. His name was later found to be Ryan Routh; he was sent to court- which we are still waiting to hear more about. The charges against him carry a maximum term of 20 years in prison. More details to come soon.
Altogether, the recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump emphasize the significant risks that public figures can face. The incidents on July 13th and September 15th reveal the potential for violence in political contexts. As investigations proceed and legal actions are taken against the assassin; these events highlight the bigger challenges related to safety in political life. The public remains attentive to how these situations will evolve. However, one message seems to cross all political party lines as many denounce the violence. President Joe Biden, when asked about the attempt, commented: “There is no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,” In conclusion, the assassination attempts on Donald Trump serve as a terrifying reminder of the dangers faced by public figures, showing the urgent need for security measures, and a unified national commitment to ending political violence.
