Timeline of Assassination Attempts and Threats Against President Trump

Shots were fired at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday night, prompting Secret Service agents to evacuate President Trump from the Washington Hilton ballroom. The incident adds to a growing list of threats no modern president has faced.

Context and Recent Incident

The latest threat occurred during the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, where Trump was scheduled to speak. Vice President Vance, members of Trump's Cabinet, and Congressional lawmakers were also in attendance. The shooting took place around 8:30 p.m. ET.

Following the incident, Trump addressed the press, stating:

"This is not the first time in the past couple of years that our republic has been attacked by a would-be assassin."

Prior Assassination Attempts

Trump has survived two confirmed assassination attempts during his 2024 campaign, both of which exposed significant failures within the Secret Service.

Butler, Pennsylvania (June 18, 2024)

Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired an "AR-style 556 rifle" at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. He grazed Trump's right ear and killed one attendee before being killed by a Secret Service sniper. A subsequent Senate report criticized Secret Service planning, communications, and leadership.

West Palm Beach, Florida (September 2024)

Ryan Wesley Routh was spotted with a rifle at Trump International Golf Club while Trump was playing. A Secret Service agent fired at Routh, who fled and was later arrested. Routh is currently serving a life sentence.

Other Plots, Threats, and Security Failures

• June 2016: A 20-year-old British national attempted to grab a police officer's gun at a Trump rally in Las Vegas, later admitting he intended to kill Trump.
• September 2017: A man stole a forklift in North Dakota and aimed it at Trump's presidential motorcade, planning to flip the limousine.
• September 2020: A dual French-Canadian citizen mailed Trump a letter containing deadly ricin.
• July 2024: A Pakistani national was arrested and later convicted of running a murder-for-hire plot on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to kill Trump. Months later, an Iranian charged with attempting to kill another U.S. citizen admitted to being directed to kill Trump as well.
• February 2026: Secret Service agents killed a 21-year-old who brought a shotgun and a gas canister to Mar-a-Lago while Trump was in Washington.

Trump's Response and Future Plans

Despite the escalating threats, Trump has stated he has no plans to reduce public appearances. Addressing reporters, he said:

"We're not going to let anybody take over our society. We're not going to cancel things out because we can't do that."