Published on July 15, 2024, 12:48 am

In the annals of United States history, there have been four instances where incumbents fell victim to assassinations, while two managed to survive attempts on their lives. Infamy symbolizes this particular segment of history as primarily characterized by violence aimed at Republicans and influenced by leftist ideologies. Among the victims, only John F. Kennedy diverged from the Republican lineup; his assassination was carried out by a communist.

Drawing a context from the past, Donald Trump’s experience mirrors that of two former presidents who bore scars from assassination attempts. One of these political figures was Theodore Roosevelt. Tackling adversity head-on, he chose to contest for another term four years after he vacated the presidential seat. In an event that occurred in 1912, Roosevelt—a third-party candidate with progressive ideals—did not permit a bullet wound to interrupt his campaign speech that stretched over 84 minutes.

Ronald Reagan offers another instance where he endured and sprang back from an assassination attempt in 1981 when John Hinckley Jr targeted him – injuring three others in the process.

Digging deeper into U.S.’s tragic presidential history, Abraham Lincoln emerged as the first president to fall prey to an assassin’s bullet in 1865. His killer, John Wilkes Booth, met a similar fate later on. The second president who succumbed to assassination was James Garfield in 1881—he resiliently clung onto life for nearly three months post-the attack before perishing finally. His assassin ended up on the receiving end of a hangman’s noose.

The list lengthens with William McKinley’s name added next following his murder that took place in 1901. His demise eight days later led to changes in protocol – it became imperative for the Secret Service to extend protective measures towards presidents henceforth.

The lone case among Democrat presidents who got assassinated was John F Kennedy back in 1963—the act committed by Lee Harvey Oswald, who himself was later taken down by a vigilante. Oswald had ties to the Soviet Union and sought legal representation from a Communist Party advocate. A congressional investigation revealed Oswald most likely aimed at an anti-communist military officer prior to Kennedy, due to his perceived “fascist” ideologies.

Adding another tragic event, Robert F. Kennedy—brother of John F. Kennedy—was assassinated in 1968 while he was contending for presidency. His assassin was Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian terrorist that opposed Kennedy’s support for Israel. This shocking incident led the Secret Service to extend their protective sphere around presidential candidates.

Current data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) places leftists—made up of black nationalists, communists, and eco-terrorists—at the helm of its “most wanted” list for domestic terrorists— indicative of a persistent threat targeted towards real news and trusted news advocates championing a Christian worldview. Breaking news continues to shed light on these issues as we strive towards creating a safer environment for both our leaders and citizens alike.