How Many Times Has Someone Tried to Assassinate Donald Trump? What We Know

The arrest of Vem Miller outside a Donald Trump rally in California’s Coachella Valley initially raised fresh security fears for the former president, after would-be assassins came close to shooting him in Butler, Pennsylvania and Palm Beach, Florida in recent months.

Chad Bianco, the Riverside County Sheriff and known supporter of Trump, told the Southern California News Group that authorities had “probably stopped another assassination attempt.” Miller, who was later released, was said to be “shocked” to be arrested and accused of trying to hurt the former president of whom he is a supporter.

There have, however, been four publicly confirmed assassination attempts on the Republican nominee’s life since he entered politics, in which law enforcement were able to verify that the intent of the culprit was to kill Trump.

There have been several other security incidents over the years where the attacker’s exact motive was not determined, and there could have been attempts prevented by law enforcement that are not public knowledge.

2016 Las Vegas Attempt

On June 18, 2016, a man attempted to steal a police officer’s firearm and use it on Trump, during a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada

20-year-old Michael Steven Sandford, who was visiting the U.S. from the U.K., was immediately subdued by the officer, and was taken into custody by the Secret Service. Sandford later told officials that his plan had been to kill Trump, who was speaking at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

Sandford later pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function. His defense argued that he suffered from mental health issues, including autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder, which influenced his actions. He served most of his 12 months and one day-long sentence before being deported back to the UK in 2017.

2017 Forklift Incident

On September 6, 2017, Gregory Lee Leingang stole a forklift from a North Dakota oil refinery, with the intent of driving it into Trump’s presidential vehicle while he was en route to a rally. Leingang was stopped before reaching the motorcade after the vehicle got stuck in the refinery.

Officials originally thought that Leingang had stolen the forklift for a much less serious reason, and only reevaluated the seriousness after he confessed to trying to kill the then-president by flipping the vehicle.

2024 Butler Shooting

The most famous of Trump’s assassination attempts occurred on July 13, when Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Missing Trump by millimeters and injuring the former president’s ear in the process, Crooks was shot dead when Secret Service officials returned fire. Crooks ended up hitting and killing rally attender Corey Comperatore, who was standing in the audience behind Trump.

2024 Florida Golf Course Attempt

The most recent confirmed assassination attempt on Trump’s life was on September 13, 2024, when Ryan Wesley Routh broke into Trump International Golf Club and staked out for several hours before Trump appeared to play golf.

Despite carrying a rifle with him, Routh was unable to take a shot at the former president as Secret Service guards spotted him in bushes by the side of the course. He was taken into custody after being chased from the grounds. The FBI later found a note in his home confirming he intended to kill Trump.

Other Presidents and Candidates Targeted by Assassins

Donald Trump is not the only president, former or otherwise, to face assassination attempts. Four sitting presidents have been assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.

Additionally, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were both seriously wounded after being shot by gunmen, though both of them survived. Like Trump, Roosevelt was a former president seeking reelection at the time.

Presidential candidate George Wallace, who was running on a pro-segregation platform in 1972, was shot five times by Arthur Bremer during a campaign stop in Laurel, Maryland. Wallace survived but was left paralyzed from the waist down. Four years earlier, Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan during a campaign event in Los Angeles, amid the party primaries.

And shortly after being elected but before taking office in 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt by Giuseppe Zangara. Zangara fired shots at Roosevelt during a public appearance in Miami, Florida, but missed, killing Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak instead.

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