Assassination Attempts on US Presidents: From Andrew Jackson to Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump with blood on his face surrounded by secret service agents as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024. Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images

On the evening of July 13, Republican 2024 presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump came within an inch of being assassinated while at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. One gunman was killed, one attendee died, and two others were seriously injured.

Throughout history, nine U.S. presidents have been shot, with four unfortunately losing their lives.

Although former President Trump was not a sitting president at the time of the shooting, he served as the 45th president of the United States, and is the presumed Republican presidential nominee in the 2024 election.

Around 6 p.m. on Saturday, while former President Trump had just started delivering a campaign speech, gunfire erupted from just over 400 feet away. Multiple shots were heard, and after the first two, former President Trump raised his hand to his right ear before quickly dropping to the ground to take cover behind his podium.

Secret Service agents immediately rushed to the stage to cover the former president, and once they had confirmation that the shooter had been neutralized, they escorted him offstage—but not before former President Trump could take the time to look at the crowd and pump his fist to let them know he was ok. As the former president left, it was clear that there was a gunshot wound to his right ear and blood splatter on his face.

Reports indicate that the gunman fired from a higher position outside the rally venue and was later shot dead by Secret Service agents. The shooting resulted in the death of one spectator and serious injuries to two others.

The morning after surviving the attempted assassination, former President Trump posted a message thanking everyone for their well wishes and saying that he believes God spared his life.

“Our love goes out to the other victims and their families. We pray for the recovery of those who were wounded, and hold in our hearts the memory of the citizen who was so horribly killed,” he added. “In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win.”

Since George Washington became the first president of the United States in 1789, 46 people have served as president. A total of nine of those presidents have been shot at in assassination attempts involving a gun while in office, with four—Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy—tragically losing their lives.

Andrew Jackson, First President to Be Shot and Survive

Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, was the first president in American history to be shot in an attempted assassination. On Jan. 30, 1835, while attending a funeral in the Rotunda of Capitol Hill in Washington, Jackson was attacked by Richard Lawrence, a mentally ill painter.

Lawrence fired two pistols from less than six feet away, but both shots missed and Jackson escaped unharmed. Lawrence was later diagnosed as mentally ill and committed to a mental hospital.

Abraham Lincoln, First President to Be Assassinated

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln informed the manager of Ford’s Theater in Washington that he and his wife would attend a performance. During the performance, actor John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln in the back of the head as Lincoln sat in the president’s box. Booth fled but was discovered in a Virginia barn, which authorities then lit on fire. An officer then managed to shoot Booth who died hours later of his wounds. Three men and one woman who were co-conspirators were executed. Lincoln died early the next morning.

James Abram Garfield Assassinated

James Abram Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was shot by Republican diehard Charles Guiteau at a train station in Washington on July 2, 1881. Garfield died from his injuries on Sept. 19. Guiteau was hanged the following year.

William McKinley Assassinated

William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was shot by young anarchist Leon Czolgosz while shaking hands at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 6, 1901. McKinley died of his injuries eight days later. Despite his request to “not hurt” Czolgosz before being loaded into the ambulance, Czolgosz was executed by electrocution in December that year.

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Survives

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was the 26th President of the United States. On Oct. 14, 1912, while at a campaign event in Milwaukee, Roosevelt was shot by John Schrank. Roosevelt was saved from the bullet by a book and glasses case that he carried in his suit pocket. But the bullet remained lodged in his chest muscle for the rest of this life.

Harry S. Truman Survives

Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, witnessed many major historical events during his tenure. On Nov. 1, 1950, an assassination attempt on Truman occurred in Washington. Oscar Collazo and Grisri Torresola, members of the National Party of Puerto Rico’s National Liberation Movement, attempted to break into the Blair Hotel where Truman was staying. One gunman was shot dead by a guard, and a policeman killed. Truman escaped unharmed.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Assassinated

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. While Kennedy’s motorcade passed through downtown Dallas, snipers fired shots from a sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository building. There are conflicting opinions on the identity of the assassin, who was killed in prison two days later. Kennedy’s assassination is surrounded by conspiracy theories, with numerous key witnesses allegedly dying under mysterious circumstances.

Gerald Ford Survives Multiple Assassination Attempts

Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, survived two assassination attempts in a month in September 1975. On Sept. 5, a female follower of American terrorist Charles Manson pointed a pistol at Ford in Sacramento, California, but it did not fire. Seventeen days later, another female assassin tried to shoot Ford in San Francisco, but a bystander deflected her gun in time. Both women were later sentenced to life imprisonment.

Ronald Reagan Survives

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, was shot on March 30, 1981, only 69 days into his term. John Hinckley Jr. shot Reagan and three others as they left the Hilton Hotel in the District of Columbia. Reagan was hit in the lung but recovered due to timely medical intervention. White House press secretary James Brady was paralyzed for life after being shot in the head. Hinckley was found insane by a court and was sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.

Attempts and Presidential Candidates

There have been other instances of assassination plans that were foiled, like the plot against President Richard Nixon involving a hijacked plane and President George W. Bush involving a live grenade.

Presidential candidates, like Huey P. Long in 1935, Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, George Wallace in 1972, and Donald Trump in 2016, have also been victims of assassination.