Political leaders, including presidential candidates, have always faced assassination attempts, right from history. These horrifying occurrences occur not only to disturb nations but also to remind them of the instability of the democratic process and the necessity of its consistent protection. Recent years have witnessed the elevation of such attacks on several political leaders across the globe, with some escaping death very closely. This article explores notable assassination attempts on presidential candidates, both in the present day and throughout history, across various countries.
Table of Contents
More recent presidential candidates attempted assassinations
United States
The United States has a long and tragic history of assassination attempts on its presidents and presidential candidates. Four sitting presidents have been killed while in office: Abraham Lincoln in 1865, James A. Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901, and John F. Kennedy in 1963. Many of them, including persons such as Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, Ronald Reagan in 1981, and Donald Trump in 2024, have leveled through such attacks.
The shooting of the former President of the United States, Donald Trump, occurred on 13th July 2024, wherein he was shot and injured during a rally held at Butler in Pennsylvania. At least one of the people was pronounced dead after the rally, and two others were critically injured. The Secret Service was able to fatally wound the perpetrator, subsequently identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks [1] [2].
In a relatively more recent event, on September 16, 2024, the FBI reported a case that resembled a probable assassination attempt on Trump at the Trump’s golf club in Florida. Routh, the suspect in the shooting, was later captured after a mere shootout with the Secret Service [9].
Other notable assassination attempts on U.S. presidential candidates include:
- Robert F. Kennedy (1968): Kennedy was assassinated by J. Sirhan Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles after the Californian democratic primary [1] [2].
- George Wallace (1972): He was struck by Arthur Bremer with four bullets during one of the campaigns in Laurel, Maryland, which confined him to a wheelchair with paralysis from the waist down [3] [4].
Japan
Japan has also been a theater for some of the assassination attempts on the country’s political leaders. The most recent political event that shocked the whole nation occurred in July 2022 with the assassination of former Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe [3].
Further, on April 15, 2023, there was an assassination attempt that targeted the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, during a campaign at the Saikazaki fishing port in Wakayama. One man tossed a pipe bomb close to Kishida; two others were hurt. The suspect, Ryuji Kimura, was captured and detained on the scene [3] [5].
Pakistan
In the matter of political violence, no country is devoid of it, and Pakistan too has its share of this violence. Prime Minister Imran Khan barely escaped an assassination attempt in Rawalpindi on November 2, 2022, during a political gathering. Khan was attacked and shot in the leg; however, he got to the hospital and was operated on [3].
Ukraine
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been targeted by several assassination attempts following the Russian invasion in the year 2022. These attempts, however, were discouraged by his security personnel; thus, his safety was well protected [3].
Venezuela
A drone attack was attempted on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in August 2018 during a military parade. The unmanned drones, which were packed with explosives, exploded near the platform on which the Venezuelan president was speaking. Nonetheless, while he was able to evade a direct hit, the attack was damaging enough to wound several military individuals [3].
Slovakia
In Handlová on May 15, 2024, Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, was shot and incapacitated during an assassination attempt. The opponent of Fico’s policies, a 71-year-old man, tried to kill him, shooting several times. Fico had to have an emergency surgery and has been receiving treatments since then [3].
Canada
In 2023, an armed man who was a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by ramming his truck into the residence of the Canadian PM [5].
Lesser known attempted assassinations
Here are some of the mostly unknown but actual attempted assassinations of presidential candidates from different countries:
United States
George Wallace (1972)
On May 15, 1972, the Governor of Alabama and Democrat presidential hopeful George C. Wallace was shot at point-blank range four times by Arthur Bremer in a location in Laurel, Maryland. He lived but was paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life, similar to what Wallace did. The purpose of the attack was purely political, as Bremer wanted publicity and fame after attempting to assassinate the president. This move not only cut short Wallace’s bid for the presidency but also brought into focus the danger that politicians are exposed to while campaigning.
Samuel Byck (1974)
Now one of the strangest attempted assassinations ever, Samuel Byck, on February 22, 1974, tried to hijack a plane with the plan of crashing it into the White House to murder Nixon. Byck’s plan also failed, as he was killed by police before he could put his plan into action. His motives stemmed from his anger toward the government and from the attention that he received from the media.
Richard Paul Pavlick (1960)
Richard Paul Pavlick attempted to carry out an assassination of President-elect John F. Kennedy on 11 December 1960. He was planning to drive his car into Kennedy’s motorcade and then blow up the car with grenades. However, Pavlick reversed his decision as soon as he saw Kennedy’s family with him; he was arrested beforehand and could not continue with his plan.
Italy
Aldo Moro (1978)
Aldo Moro, the Italian Prime Minister, was abducted by the Red Brigades on the morning of March 16, 1978, when he was on his way to the parliament in Rome. This did not involve an assassination at this point but led to the assassination of Moro when he was shot dead after being held hostage for 55 days. That event stunned Italy and demonstrated the ultra-political extremism of that period.
India
Rajiv Gandhi (1991)
Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, was blown up on 21 May 1991 by a LTTE suicide woman bomber. Although this is more of an example of assassination than an attempt, it helps illustrate the dangers presented to political figures in unstable areas.
Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto (2007)
A suicide bomber tried to assassinate the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, on October 18, 2007, when she arrived in Pakistan after years in exile. However, she had a narrow escape at that time; she met her untimely death on 27th December 2007 through a shooting rampage, which was followed by a bombing.
Venezuela
Hugo Chávez (2002)
On April 11, 2002, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez was involved in an attack coup that included a protest against his government, including an assassination attempt against him. In this coup attempt, although Chávez was removed from the presidency, he was able to regain power and return to his office in two days.
Philippines
Benigno Aquino III (2010)
On August 23, 2010, Philippine former President Benigno Aquino III was involved in an assassination plot when a gunman fired at him in a public event in Manila. Three bullets flew past Aquino, narrowly missing him thanks to the fast intervention by his security guard.
The protection of presidential candidates or world leaders from would-be assailants has remained a serious concern with several attempted or successful attacks that have happened in the past years. They are a reminder that even politicians are not immune to such attacks and that security has to be as tight as it can be. As this becomes a global concern, more effort should be devoted to seeking ways of preventing political violence and ensuring the environment is safe for democratic activities to take place.
[1] Politico. (2024, July 14). Timeline: American assassination attempts. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/14/trump-shot-history-assassins-00168058
[2] Lankasara. (2024, July 14). Assassination Attempts on U.S. Presidents and Candidates. https://lankasara.com/news/assassination-attempts-us-presidents-presidential-candidates-historical-perspective/
[3] Times of India. (2024, July 15). 7 most famous assassination attempts on world leaders recently. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/7-most-famous-assassination-attempts-on-world-leaders-recently/photostory/111736430.cms
[4] Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_assassination_attempts_and_plots
[5] The Hub. (2024, July 19). Worldwide leader assassination attempts are on the rise after years of decline. https://thehub.ca/2024/07/19/worldwide-leader-assassination-attempts-are-on-the-rise-after-years-of-decline/
[6] Al Jazeera. (2024, July 14). Timeline: Assassination attempts against US presidents, and candidates. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/14/timeline-assassination-attempts-against-us-presidents-candidates
[7] Foreign Policy. (2024, July 15). Trump Assassination Attempt: Are Attacks on the Rise Globally? https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/07/15/trump-assassination-attempt-political-violence-global/
[8] Wikipedia. (n.d.). List of heads of state and government who survived assassination attempts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_and_government_who_survived_assassination_attempts
[9] Al Jazeera. (2024, September 16). Trump assassination attempt: Who is suspect Ryan Routh? https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/16/trump-assassination-attempt-who-is-suspect-ryan-routh
