Historical timeline and facts

Assassination Attempts Against Donald Trump: Historical Timeline and Facts

A documented, source-linked overview of confirmed assassination attempts, alleged attempts, threats, and major security incidents involving Donald J. Trump. The page uses official records and major news reporting, and separates established facts from unresolved questions.

Last updated: .

Timeline of Incidents

  1. April 25, 2026

    White House Correspondents' Dinner incident

    Developing

  2. Various

    Documented threats and security incidents

    Threats / incidents

  3. September 15, 2024

    West Palm Beach golf club incident

    Confirmed

  4. July 13, 2024

    Butler, Pennsylvania rally shooting

    Confirmed

  5. June 18, 2016

    Las Vegas rally incident

    Alleged attempt

April 25, 2026

April 25, 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner Security Incident

Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C.

Reported / under investigation

Initial reporting described Trump as unharmed and evacuated after a security incident during the White House Correspondents' Dinner. As of the page's last update, this item should not be labeled a confirmed assassination attempt unless official law-enforcement sources make that determination. Associated Press; Axios.

Exterior view of the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C.

Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. The image is used for venue context and does not depict the April 25, 2026 security incident.

Credit/source: AgnosticPreachersKid via Wikimedia Commons.

License note: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.

Confirmed facts

  • AP reported that Trump was uninjured and that leaders were evacuated after an unspecified threat at the dinner.
  • Axios reported, citing federal law-enforcement officials, that a suspected gunman tried to breach security and was shot by Secret Service.
  • The available public reporting describes an active or developing investigation.

What remains unclear

  • Whether investigators will classify the event as an assassination attempt.
  • The suspect's identity, motive, charges, and precise sequence of events should be manually verified against official sources before publication updates.

Sources

Various dates

Other Documented Threats or Security Incidents

United States

Threat or security incident

Federal cases involving threats against Trump are documented in DOJ releases, but threats and arrests should not be described as assassination attempts unless official charges, findings, or court judgments support that label. U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Department of Justice, Middle District of Florida.

Exterior view of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C.

Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C. The image is used for source-context because this grouped section cites DOJ threat cases.

Credit/source: APK via Wikimedia Commons.

License note: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.

Confirmed facts

  • DOJ announced an indictment of Shawn Monper for alleged threats to assault and murder President Trump and other officials.
  • DOJ announced that a Florida man was sentenced for threatening to assassinate President Trump after pleading guilty.
  • Threat cases are legally and historically distinct from an attempted assassination unless the factual record shows a substantial step toward the offense and official proceedings use that classification.

What remains unclear

  • This page is not a complete database of all threat prosecutions.
  • Individual case status can change; docket review is needed before presenting any threat case as resolved.

Sources

September 15, 2024

September 15, 2024 Trump International Golf Club Incident Involving Ryan Wesley Routh

Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Florida

Confirmed assassination attempt

The FBI initially described the event as an apparent attempted assassination. DOJ later charged, tried, and obtained a conviction against Ryan Wesley Routh for attempted assassination and related offenses; DOJ announced a life sentence in February 2026. Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Justice.

Donald Trump standing on a golf course at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in a 2019 official White House photograph. The image is used for venue context and does not depict the 2024 incident.

Credit/source: Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian via Wikimedia Commons.

License note: Public domain as a work of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

Confirmed facts

  • The FBI said it was investigating what appeared to be an attempted assassination at the golf club.
  • DOJ initially charged Routh with firearms offenses connected to the September 15, 2024 incident.
  • DOJ announced in 2025 that a jury convicted Routh of attempted assassination and assault of a federal law enforcement officer.
  • DOJ announced in 2026 that Routh was sentenced to life in prison.

What remains unclear

  • Early reports used the phrase apparent assassination attempt before the later conviction; historical wording should distinguish between initial investigation and later adjudication.
  • Any biographical or motive claims about Routh should be separately sourced to court records or official summaries.

Sources

July 13, 2024

July 13, 2024 Butler, Pennsylvania Rally Shooting

Butler Farm Show grounds near Butler, Pennsylvania

Confirmed assassination attempt

The FBI investigated the shooting as an assassination attempt and potential domestic terrorism. Trump was injured, one spectator was killed, and additional spectators were injured. The FBI later described the assailant's preparations as detailed attack planning while continuing to assess motive and possible co-conspirators. Federal Bureau of Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Aerial view of the Butler Farm Show grounds before the July 2024 Trump rally.

Aerial view of the Butler Farm Show area shortly before the July 13, 2024 rally, according to the Wikimedia Commons file description.

Credit/source: Designism / Wikimedia Commons.

License note: CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Confirmed facts

  • The FBI publicly identified the incident as an assassination attempt against former President Trump.
  • The shooting resulted in Trump's injury, the death of Corey Comperatore, injuries to other spectators, and the death of the shooter.
  • FBI briefings reported that the shooter acted from a nearby rooftop and had conducted pre-event activity around the rally site.
  • Congressional investigators later examined security failures before and during the event.

What remains unclear

  • The motive has been treated carefully in official updates and should not be asserted beyond official findings.
  • Any unresolved security-failure questions should be tied to official investigative reports or testimony.

Sources

June 18, 2016

2016 Las Vegas Rally Incident Involving Michael Steven Sandford

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada

Alleged attempt

Federal prosecutors described Sandford as having tried to seize an officer's firearm at a Trump rally. DOJ reported that Sandford told agents he had traveled to Las Vegas to kill Trump, but the criminal case resolved as weapon and disruption charges rather than an attempted-assassination conviction. U.S. Department of Justice, District of Nevada.

Exterior view of the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the venue identified in DOJ records for the June 2016 rally incident.

Credit/source: Mark Briggs via Wikimedia Commons.

License note: Public domain dedication by the copyright holder, listed on Wikimedia Commons as PD-user.

Confirmed facts

  • Sandford attempted to take a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer's firearm during a Trump campaign rally.
  • The Justice Department said Sandford had taken shooting lessons the previous day at a Las Vegas gun range.
  • He pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting an official function, and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.

What remains unclear

  • The public record cited here does not establish an attempted-assassination conviction.
  • Descriptions of intent should be attributed to the court record or DOJ summary, not stated beyond the documented charges.

Sources

FAQ

How many incidents are listed here as confirmed assassination attempts?+

This page identifies the July 13, 2024 Butler rally shooting and the September 15, 2024 West Palm Beach golf club case as confirmed assassination attempts based on FBI and DOJ materials. The 2016 Sandford case is labeled alleged, and the 2026 dinner incident is labeled reported and under investigation.

Why is the 2016 Las Vegas incident labeled alleged?+

DOJ reported that Sandford told agents he intended to kill Trump, but the cited case resolved on weapon and disruption charges. The page therefore avoids calling it a confirmed assassination attempt.

Why is the White House Correspondents' Dinner incident not called an assassination attempt?+

Because early reports describe a security incident and investigation, while this page has not identified an official source classifying it as an assassination attempt. That label should change only after official confirmation.

Are threats included in the same category as attempts?+

No. Threats, arrests, and security incidents are separated from confirmed or alleged attempts unless official public records support a stronger classification.

Source List and References

  1. British Man Who Was Arrested At Trump Rally Sentenced On Weapon And Disruption Charges - U.S. Department of Justice, District of Nevada, December 13, 2016
  2. Update on the FBI Investigation of the Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump - Federal Bureau of Investigation, July 15, 2024
  3. Remarks to Media on the Butler, Pennsylvania, Assassination Attempt - Federal Bureau of Investigation, August 28, 2024
  4. Interim Staff Report: Investigating the Stunning Security Failures on July 13, 2024 - U.S. House Task Force / Committee publication, October 2024
  5. Suspect at Trump International Golf Course Charged with Firearms Offenses - U.S. Department of Justice, September 16, 2024
  6. FBI Statement on Incident in West Palm Beach, Florida - Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 15, 2024
  7. Jury Convicts Man of Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump - U.S. Department of Justice, September 23, 2025
  8. Ryan Wesley Routh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump - U.S. Department of Justice, February 4, 2026
  9. Trump unharmed after security incident at White House correspondents' dinner - Associated Press, April 25, 2026
  10. WHCD canceled, Trump evacuated after shooting outside annual event - Axios, April 26, 2026
  11. Butler Man Indicted for Threats to Assault and Murder President Trump and Other U.S. Officials - U.S. Department of Justice, Western District of Pennsylvania
  12. Florida Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Federal Prison for Threatening to Assassinate President Trump - U.S. Department of Justice, Middle District of Florida, February 2, 2026