16 July 2024 | 16:22

U.S. Presidents who survived assassination attempts

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Tengrinews.kz - On 13 July, unknown assailants opened fire during Donald Trump's speech in Pennsylvania. The bullets missed the former president, sparing his vital organs. When the shooting stopped, bodyguards helped the politician to get up and led him off the stage. This incident brings to mind past assassination attempts on U.S. presidents who, like Trump, escaped death.

Tengrinews.kz - On 13 July, unknown assailants opened fire during Donald Trump's speech in Pennsylvania. The bullets missed the former president, sparing his vital organs. When the shooting stopped, bodyguards helped the politician to get up and led him off the stage. This incident brings to mind past assassination attempts on U.S. presidents who, like Trump, escaped death.

Andrew Jackson – The First Attempt to Assassinate a U.S. President

The seventh president of the United States was the first to be targeted in an assassination attempt. This occurred on January 30, 1835, as Jackson was leaving the funeral of Congressman Warren Davis at the Capitol. Various sources note that the would-be assassin, Richard Lawrence, was mentally unstable. He approached Jackson and attempted to shoot him with a pistol, but it misfired. Lawrence quickly pulled out a second pistol, which also misfired. Despite being 67 years old at the time, Jackson attacked Lawrence with his cane. Jackson's guards then intervened, apprehended Lawrence, and sent him to a psychiatric hospital.

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Abraham Lincoln – The Target of Political Plots

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was known for his fight for equality and anti-slavery stances. In 1861, a plot to assassinate him was apprehended in Baltimore for his inauguration. Through swift action and a change of route, tragedy was averted. Lincoln's security was handled by the Pinkerton Agency, which warned him of potential threats. In 1865, Lincoln was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth in Washington.

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt – The Victim of a Psychopath’s Attack

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, was the target of an assassination attempt in February 1933, before his inauguration. During a public appearance in Miami, Giuseppe Zangara opened fire on Roosevelt but missed. Instead, he wounded Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who later died from his wounds.

Dzangara, who suffered from chronic pain and mental illness, hoped that killing Roosevelt would put him out of his misery and solve his problems.

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Harry Truman – The Target of Nationalist Assassination Attempt

Two Puerto Rican nationalists, Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, broke into the temporary residence at Blair House, where Truman was temporarily living due to the renovation of the White House. They opened fire in an attempt to assassinate the president in protest for Puerto Rican independence. Fortunately, Truman was resting on the second floor at the time and, upon hearing the gunshots, managed to escape with his bodyguards.

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Ronald Reagan – The Almost Successful Assassination Attempt

In 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States. Hinckley opened fire on Reagan as he exited a hotel in Washington after a speech. Reagan was hit by a ricocheted bullet but was quickly taken to the hospital, where doctors saved his life.

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George H. W. Bush

The plotters planned to assassinate him with a car bomb during his visit to Kuwait. However, the plot was uncovered, and the assassination was thwarted. Investigations revealed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was behind the plot, prompting retaliatory actions from the U.S.

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Barack Obama – Thwarted Assassination Attempts

Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, was the target of several assassination attempts before he even took office. In 2008, several conspirators were arrested for planning to assassinate Obama during his presidential campaign. Thanks to the prompt work of intelligence agencies, the plot was uncovered and the assassination attempt was prevented.

From his inauguration in 2009 until the end of his presidency in 2017, multiple assassination attempts were made on Obama, but all were prevented before they could be executed.

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