Jul 14, 2024, 03:50 PM IST
Donald Trump and Other US Presidents Who Survived Assassination Attempts
Former US President Donald Trump was shot at during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The 78-year-old Republican presidential candidate survived the assassination attempt by a 20-year-old man named Thomas Mathew Crooks. Trump is among the fortunate few leaders to survive such attempts relatively unscathed. These are the other ones:
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt on October 14, 1912. John Schrank, a saloon keeper, shot at Roosevelt during a campaign event in Milwaukee. A steel eyeglass case and a thick speech manuscript in Roosevelt’s pocket slowed the bullet, resulting in only a minor injury.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
On February 15, 1933, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Miami’s Bayfront Park. Giuseppe Zangara, an unemployed bricklayer, fired six shots, injuring five people, including Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who later died due to the wounds. Roosevelt was unharmed.
Harry S. Truman
President Harry S. Truman survived an assassination attempt on November 1, 1950. Two Puerto Rican nationalists, Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, attacked Blair House, where Truman was residing. Torresola was killed in the exchange of fire.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford faced an assassination attempt on September 5, 1975, in Sacramento, California. Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme, a member of the Charles Manson cult, aimed a pistol at Ford. Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf thwarted the attempt by disarming her before she could fire.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was seriously wounded on March 30, 1981, by John Hinckley Jr. Hinckley shot Reagan outside the Washington Hilton, intending to impress actress Jodie Foster. The bullet hit Reagan’s left underarm, causing severe internal injuries.