Two years after an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, then-President Donald Trump credited divine intervention for his survival, stating that his Secret Service detail "blew it." The July 13, 2024, incident saw Trump shot in the ear as he was about to look at a chart. He suggested his turning his head at that moment saved his life.
Trump specifically criticized the Secret Service's security plan for the event, noting that an empty building, the AGR complex, which housed the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks, was not adequately secured and was outside the inner perimeter. A federal report later determined that the Secret Service should have better secured this structure, as local law enforcement had access to it while its roof remained unguarded. Local law enforcement had notified the Secret Service of a "suspicious person" on the roof at 6:09 p.m., with Trump being shot eight times at 6:11 p.m.
While Trump praised a Secret Service counter-sniper, identified as David, for quickly responding and killing the gunman, he asserted that the overall protective detail failed. Trump claimed the 20-year-old shooter was equipped with 300 rounds of ammunition, suggesting the rapid response may have prevented a larger attack.
The failures associated with the Butler shooting led to the suspension of six Secret Service agents and the resignation of then-director Kimberly Cheatle 10 days after the incident. A Department of Homeland Security report concluded that the Secret Service was not operating at the elite levels required for its mission, citing bureaucratic complacency and a failure to adapt to evolving risks.
Lawmakers have expressed lingering disbelief over the near-fatal incident. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania noted the close call, comparing it to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and pondering the potential national chaos had Trump not survived. Republican Congressman Paul Gosar of Arizona described the event as one of the darkest moments in modern American politics, offering gratitude for Trump's survival while remembering fallen firefighter Corey Comperatore and others injured.
The Butler shooting marked the beginning of a series of security incidents targeting Trump. Two months later, an attempt at his West Palm Beach golf club was thwarted when a Secret Service agent spotted Ryan Wesley Routh armed with a rifle and opened fire, causing Routh to flee. Routh was later apprehended and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In March, Asif Merchant was convicted of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terrorism, linked to an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump, and faces a potential life sentence.
This year has also seen two attempts on Trump's life. In February, a 21-year-old armed with a shotgun breached the perimeter of Trump's Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, and was killed during the attempt, though Trump was not home. In April, Cole Thomas Allen allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., after breaching a Secret Service perimeter armed with multiple weapons. Allen, who has pleaded not guilty, tripped and was apprehended after a brief exchange of fire with Secret Service agents.