All the rumoured Donald Trump assassination attempts that most people won’t have heard about
There have been four publicly confirmed assassination attempts on US President Donald Trump’s life - but the number may be closer to 11, according to authorities.
Four out of 45 US presidents have been assassinated in office — Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.
Many more have escaped attempts on their lives, with one being the current sitting US President Donald Trump, whom Newsweek reported has officially been involved in four assassination attempts since entering politics.
Last year alone, the 79-year-old faced assassination twice during his latest election campaign. The first came during a rally in Pennsylvania, of which today (July 13) is the one-year anniversary.
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The second of 2024 came months later while he was on a golf course in Florida.
Below, we’ve outlined all the confirmed attempts on the President’s life, as well as detailing seven more that have not been declared as official efforts
2016: Man attempted to steal a gun to shoot Trump during a Las Vegas rally
Michael Steve Sandford, who was 20 in 2016, was visiting Las Vegas, Nevada, from the United Kingdom.
His visit coincided with Trump giving a speech at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino as part of his first presidential campaign.
On June 18, 2016, the man attempted to steal a firearm from a Las Vegas Metropolitan police officer, but was immediately subdued and taken into custody by the Secret Service.
Sandford, whose defence argued he was autistic and had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), was sentenced to 12 months and one day in jail.
He was released and deported back to the UK in May 2017.
2017: Trump limo flip planned in North Dakota
More than a year after Sandford’s attempt at stealing a firearm, there was another reported hit on Trump’s life.
This event took place in North Dakota on September 6 and saw state native Gregory Lee Leingang stealing a forklift and attempting to drive it into the president’s motorcade route, as per The Independent.
Trump was in North Dakota to promote tax legislation, and Leingang’s plan was allegedly to ‘basically try to get to the limo, flip the limo and get to the president and he wanted to kill the president’, according to Brandi Sasse Russell, the assistant US attorney on the case.
The perpetrator also started fires at the Bismarck Municipal Ballpark maintenance shop and the state parole and probation office, for which he was sentenced to jail for 10 years.
He received two further five-year sentences for stealing the forklift and for another burglary incident, the publication states.
2024: Pennsylvania rally attempted shooting
A year ago today on July 13, 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired at Trump amid a Republican rally being held in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The bullet grazed the businessman’s ear and killed another attendee in what has been described in a Secret Service report as nothing 'short of a tragedy' and ‘operational failure’.
The attack, branded as ‘preventable’ in another report, has seen six US Secret Service officers being issued suspensions.
The agency said that the hexad was given penalties ranging from 10 to 42 days of leave without pay or benefits.
“One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania,” said Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
“My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him.
"Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future."
Curan went on to say that 'nothing is more important to the Secret Service than the safety and security of our protectees,' and that he is 'committed to ensuring our agency is fully equipped, resourced, and aligned to carry out our important mission each and every day.'
2024: Invasion at Trump International Golf Club
Two months after the Pennsylvania rally attack, the Secret Service foiled another plot to kill Trump - this time on his golf course in Florida.
Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump during his 2024 Presidential campaign.
Newsweek reported that on September 13, Routh broke into Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle, but was unable to take a shot at the then-former US President after he was spotted in bushes by the Secret Service.
His motives are still currently under investigation, with Routh pleading ot guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations, as per the Associated Press.
In addition to federal charges, Routh has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder, the outlet reported.
His trial is set for September 8, and the man plans to self-represent, as heard on Thursday (July 10).
2016: Security incident
While only four assassination attempts have been confirmed, it’s alleged that there could actually be around 11 incidents in total.
An incident, which has not been confirmed as an official assassination attempt, took place in 2016.
It saw 22-year-old Thomas DiMassimo trying to rush the stage during a rally in Dayton, Ohio, in March.
He was tackled to the ground by Secret Service agents and was sentenced to one year's probation, as per the Washington Post.
2018 and 2020: A duo of ricin poisoning attempts
It’s understood Trump has been sent ricin-laced letters on two occasions.
In 2018, a Utah Navy veteran named William Clyde Allen III was arrested and charged with sending envelopes with poison in them to the politician, as well as the Pentagon.
Allen, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was later remanded for psychiatric evaluation. The charges against him were eventually dismissed in January, 2022, as per official court documents.
In 2020, a dual citizen of Canada and France attempted to send a threatening letter containing homemade ricin to President Trump at the White House, the US Department of Justice confirmed.
The letter, sent by a woman named Pascale Ferrier, was intercepted and led to the self-styled activist being jailed for 22 years in August 2023, as per BBC.
2020: Press briefing escort after shooting
The Guardian reported in 2020 that Trump was abruptly escorted out of a Coronavirus press briefing by a Secret Service agent after an armed suspect was shot outside the White House.
10 minutes later, he returned to the stage to confirm that someone had been shot outside of the White House.
A Secret Service statement later confirmed: “The White House complex was not breached during the incident and no Secret Service protectees were ever in danger.
“The Secret Service office of professional responsibility will be conducting an internal review of the officer’s actions. The Metropolitan police department was contacted to conduct an investigation.”
2020: Trump named on man’s ‘kill list’
Barry Croft Jr., a Delaware man who plotted to kidnap Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, 53, took to Facebook to provide a ‘hit list’ of politicians he wanted to target and murder, the Detroit News reported in 2020.
Trump was one of the names on the list, including former President Barack Obama and United States Representative Ihan Omar, according to teh FBI.
The 50-year-old was convicted in August 2022 of plotting to kidnap Whitmer, and was sentenced to 19.5 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, the Department of Justice confirmed.
2024: Coachella security incident
In October 2024, the Associated Press confirmed a 49-year-old man had been arrested outside of a Donald Trump rally in the Southern California desert.
Authorities said the Las Vegas resident was in possession of a shotgun, loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports in his vehicle.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a news conference that the suspect was driving an unregistered black SUV with a ‘homemade’ license plate.
The man was released on bail, and a statement claimed Trump had not yet arrived at the rally when he was remanded int custody.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics, Crime
Ella Scott