Former President Trump was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, marking a dark and violent turn in an already polarized America. The assault, reminiscent of past attempts on the lives of political figures such as Theodore Roosevelt and Gerald R. Ford, has the potential to disrupt the ongoing bitter presidential race. Disturbing footage from the event captured the moment when gunshots rang out, causing Trump to grab at his right ear and collapse. Despite the injury, Trump quickly rose to his feet, acknowledging the crowd with a fist pump as blood streamed from the side of his head. His security detail swiftly escorted him off stage, and a spokesperson for the presumptive Republican nominee later confirmed that he was “fine” and undergoing examination at a nearby medical facility.
Tragically, the shooting resulted in the death of one rally attendee and left two others critically injured. The unidentified gunman was subsequently killed by the Secret Service, according to the agency. Leaders from across the political spectrum condemned the attack, with President Biden expressing gratitude for Trump’s safety and offering prayers for him, his family, and all those present at the rally.
Political violence has a long history in American presidential campaigns, dating back over a century. The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 during the Democratic presidential primaries stands as one of the most notable attacks. The 1968 shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles marked a pivotal moment in a period of intense acrimony in the United States. While it has been over four decades since a president or presidential candidate faced an assassination attempt, recent history has witnessed instances of political violence, including the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017, the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband at her San Francisco home in 2022, and the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Allan Lichtman, a distinguished professor of history at American University, lamented the prevalence of political violence in contemporary times, stating that it has unfortunately become a fact of our era. The current campaign season, marked by threats and insults, has seen political violence become an integral part of the discourse. The January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election has further fueled the tensions between the two major parties. President Biden has consistently sought to link Trump to the actions of the rioters, but the recent Supreme Court ruling granting presidents absolute immunity for exercising core powers has raised doubts about holding the former president accountable for his alleged attempts to subvert Biden’s victory.
The shooting at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, represents the first attempt on the life of a president or candidate since 1981 when John W. Hinckley Jr. shot President Reagan. Trump’s attack, like those on several previous presidential candidates, underscores the risks associated with the campaign trail. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot just before delivering a speech at an event in Milwaukee, yet he proceeded with his remarks, famously declaring, “It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.” Gerald R. Ford, who assumed the presidency after Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, faced back-to-back assassination attempts during his campaign for a full term in office. These incidents occurred in September 1975, with the first taking place in downtown Sacramento, where Ford narrowly escaped Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme’s attempt on his life. Less than three weeks later, Sara Jane Moore fired at Ford as he left a speaking engagement in San Francisco, missing him by several feet. Ford was ultimately defeated by Jimmy Carter in the subsequent election.
Eric Schickler, a political science professor at UC Berkeley, highlighted the potential shock factor of the Trump shooting, as many Americans may not recall the numerous high-profile political assassinations and thwarted attempts during the 1960s and 1970s. Schickler emphasized that the current moment differs significantly from that era, which was marked by the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and various political bombings and violence. He noted that the shooting incident is outside the experience of many Americans.
Following the shooting, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a third-party presidential candidate and one of the late Robert F. Kennedy’s children, took to social media to call for unity and calm. He urged every American who loves their country to step back from division, renounce violence, and unite in prayer for President Trump and his family.
