Assassination attempts on Donald Trump in focus amid shooting at dinner

Trump has survived two assassination attempts, first at a presidential election campaign rally in Pennsylvania in 2024, and later in Florida the same year.

Updated on: Apr 26, 2026, 16:41:42 IST

By Akansha Purohit

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US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents Association dinner in the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday (local time) after a man opened fire on security personnel nearby.

Donald Trump is seen 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, Pennsylvania, in 2024. (AFP File)

The incident took place around 8:34 pm (local time) when dinner was served. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the dinner in Washington by Secret Service agents.

Follow for live updates on Trump shooting incedent

Soon after the incident, Trump addressed a press briefing saying, “This is not the first time that our republic has been attacked,” giving reference of past assassination attempts on him in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Also read: Trump shares chilling CCTV footage of shooting scare at White House event, says gunman was taken down by ‘brave’ agents

Past assassination attempts

The incident on Saturday was not the first shooting scare for President Trump. Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.

In September 2024, a suspect with a rifle was spotted near the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. A Secret Service agent spotted him and fired, after which the suspect ran away but was later caught by police. About 36 miles away from the golf course, police apprehended Ryan Wesley Routh.

Earlier, on July 13, 2024, a 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was hit in the ear by a bullet, while Butler County Fire Chief Corey Comperatore was tragically killed. Two other individuals sustained injuries during the attack before Crooks was fatally shot by the Secret Service.

Other attempted attacks on Trump

Other than these two attempts, over the years, there have been other scares as well. On February 22, 2026, a man in his early 20s was shot and killed by Secret Service agents after allegedly attempting to breach the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, the private club owned by President Donald Trump. However, Trump was in Washington at the time of the incident.

In 2016, a British man tried to grab a police officer's gun at a Trump rally in Las Vegas. The man confirmed that he wanted to kill Trump.

In another incident in 2017, another man in North Dakota stole a forklift and drove it toward the presidential motorcade, allegedly planning to flip the limousine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Akansha Purohit
Akansha Purohit is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she is part of the online news desk. She began her journey with the organisation as an intern and later joined the newsroom in a full-time editorial role. With close to a year of experience at Hindustan Times, she contributes to the daily news cycle by writing, curating, and editing digital content. Her work primarily focuses on national and international news, along with explainers that simplify complex developments and ongoing issues. She also writes on matters of public interest, and handles blogs with live updates. Akansha holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, and completed her postgraduate studies in Digital Media from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. During her postgraduate programme, she worked on several research and journalism projects that strengthened her reporting, editing, and digital storytelling skills.Read More

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