All the presidential assassination attempts

American history is full of efforts to kill sitting and former presidents

US President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the car where the President would be assassinated on November 22, 1963
While four presidents have been assassinated in office, none have been killed since John F. Kennedy in 1963
(Image credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts in 2024, putting him in a club that no one wants to join. While four presidents have been assassinated in office, none have been killed since John F. Kennedy in 1963. The clear lesson of history is that it's certainly not for lack of effort. 

Some of these attempts were more serious than others, and most were foiled by authorities before shots were fired or bombs went off. But there have been numerous unsuccessful attempts to kill sitting or former presidents before this year's near-misses for Trump.

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David Faris

David Faris is an associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics. He is a frequent contributor to Informed Comment, and his work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Indy Week.