Donald Trump has become the most targeted U.S. leader on record, facing approximately twenty threat-related incidents since taking office in 2017, including three major assassination attempts. These incidents have occurred with a frequency of roughly every two to three months in recent years.
By comparison, other U.S. presidents targeted in assassination attempts have faced only one, with the exception of Gerald R. Ford, who survived two. Presidents Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy were assassinated.
Incidents During First Presidential Campaign (2016)
Trump's first security incidents occurred during his 2016 campaign. In March 2016, an attendee at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, attempted to rush the stage but was arrested and later received probation. In June 2016, a British national at a rally in Las Vegas attempted to grab a police officer's handgun, intending to kill Trump, and was sentenced to prison. In November 2016, a man shouted "gun" at a rally in Reno, Nevada, causing Secret Service agents to escort Trump off stage. No weapon was found, and the individual was briefly detained.
Incidents During First Presidency (2017-2021)
During his first term, seven threat-related incidents were recorded. In September 2017, a man stole a forklift and drove it towards Trump's motorcade in North Dakota, receiving time served and supervised release. In October 2018, a Navy veteran in Utah was charged after ricin-laced letters addressed to Trump were intercepted. In August 2020, a man was shot by a Secret Service officer near the White House after reportedly threatening people. In September 2020, a ricin-laced letter was mailed to Trump and intercepted; the sender, a Canadian-French dual citizen, was sentenced to over 21 years in prison.
Incidents During Second Presidential Campaign (2024)
Trump's 2024 presidential campaign saw two assassination attempts and two additional threat-related incidents. In July 2024, the day before a campaign rally shooting, a Pakistani national accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting Trump on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was arrested and later convicted. The assassination attempt occurred in July 2024 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman killed one spectator and wounded two others, striking Trump in the ear before being killed by Secret Service. In September 2024, a gunman was arrested near Trump's Florida golf course. Later, in November 2024, the Justice Department disclosed another alleged Iranian murder-for-hire plot targeting Trump, with the accused, identified as an Iranian government asset, reportedly killed in a U.S. military operation.
Incidents During Second Presidency (2025-Present)
In the first year and a half of his second presidency, Trump has faced eight additional incidents, including one assassination attempt. In May 2025, a Florida man was arraigned for claiming he had "orchestrated the most daring Presidential assassination that this country has ever seen," and was later sentenced to prison. In July 2025, a Texas man was arrested for threatening Trump on social media. In August 2025, a Georgia man was arrested for threatening to shoot Trump on TikTok. In February 2026, an armed man was fatally shot by authorities after driving into the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago. In April 2026, a federal complaint was unsealed against a Kentucky man accused of posting violent threats on Instagram. In June 2026, law enforcement uncovered an alleged terrorism conspiracy involving explosive-laden drones and an attack on attendees at a White House UFC event. In August 2026, a suspect was arrested near a Trump golf club in California with a loaded magazine and a fake security badge.
White House Correspondents' Dinner Security Breach (2026)
A significant security breach occurred in April 2026 during the White House Correspondents' Dinner. A suspect, Cole Allen, allegedly charged a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons, shot an officer, and was taken into custody. The outgoing White House Correspondents' Association president recalled witnessing President Trump huddle with Cabinet officials moments after the shooting as news of the crisis unfolded.