Trump Assassination Attempt

Event

An event on July 13, 2024, where Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, injuring him and killing a supporter.


First Mentioned

9/20/2025, 5:00:23 AM

Last Updated

9/20/2025, 5:03:32 AM

Research Retrieved

9/20/2025, 5:03:32 AM

Summary

Donald Trump has been the target of multiple assassination attempts throughout his political career, notably during his 2016 campaign, his first presidential term, and his 2024 bid for a second term. The most serious incident occurred on July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, where assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks fired an AR-15-style rifle, killing himself and a spectator, and wounding Trump in the right ear. A subsequent attempt on September 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida, involving Ryan Wesley Routh, was thwarted by the Secret Service, resulting in the suspect being shot but no other casualties. These events, particularly the Pennsylvania attempt, were analyzed on the All-In Podcast, where hosts condemned the act and criticized perceived Secret Service failures as indicative of broader institutional decay, also discussing the role of charged political rhetoric and the Republican Party's shift towards populism under Trump.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Target

    Donald Trump

  • Task Force

    Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump

  • Analysis Source

    All-In Podcast

  • Assailant (Florida)

    Ryan Wesley Routh

  • Assailant (Pennsylvania)

    Thomas Matthew Crooks

  • Location (Florida Attempt)

    Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

  • Casualties (Florida Attempt)

    Assailant Ryan Wesley Routh shot

  • Injury (Pennsylvania Attempt)

    Bullet wound to Donald Trump's right ear

  • Weapon (Pennsylvania Attempt)

    AR-15–style rifle

  • Location (Pennsylvania Attempt)

    Near Butler, Pennsylvania, United States

  • Casualties (Pennsylvania Attempt)

    2 deaths (assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks, 1 spectator)

  • Key Issues Discussed (All-In Podcast)

    Secret Service Failure, Institutional Decay, Charged Political Rhetoric, Republican Party Populism

Timeline
  • Earliest known assassination attempt occurred at a campaign rally before Donald Trump secured the Republican Party nomination. (Source: wikipedia)

    2016

  • Donald Trump was targeted in several failed assassination attempts during his first term as president, remaining unharmed. (Source: wikipedia)

    2017-2021

  • Assassination attempt at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. Assailant Thomas Matthew Crooks (20) fired an AR-15–style rifle, killing himself and a spectator, and wounding Donald Trump in the upper right ear. (Source: summary, wikipedia, web_search_results)

    2024-07-13

  • Assassination attempt at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Suspect Ryan Wesley Routh (58) was spotted aiming a rifle at Donald Trump but was thwarted by the Secret Service, who shot him. (Source: summary, web_search_results)

    2024-09-15

  • Ryan Wesley Routh was indicted on five federal charges, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. (Source: web_search_results)

    2024-09-24

  • The Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump released its final report on its investigation. (Source: web_search_results)

    2024-12-10

  • Ryan Wesley Routh was additionally indicted on an attempted felony murder charge. (Source: web_search_results)

    2024-12-18

Security incidents involving Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been the target of multiple assassination attempts during his presidential campaigning and as president. The earliest known attempt occurred at a campaign rally shortly before he secured the nomination of the Republican Party in the 2016 presidential election. Throughout Trump's first term in office, he was targeted but unharmed in several failed assassination attempts. The most serious incident took place at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in 2024 while Trump was running for a second term. The attempt resulted in two deaths, that of the would-be assassin and a spectator. Trump was injured by a bullet that struck his right ear, the only injury sustained in these attempts. Another attempt on Trump's life occurred in Florida in September 2024; it was thwarted by the Secret Service, resulting in no casualties and only the suspect being shot at.

Web Search Results
  • Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Florida - Wikipedia

    On September 15, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and nominee of the Republican Party "Republican Party (United States)") in the 2024 presidential election, survived an alleged assassination attempt while golfing at Trump International Golf Club "Trump International Golf Club (West Palm Beach)") in West Palm Beach, Florida. A suspect, later identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh, was spotted hiding in nearby shrubbery while aiming a rifle at a member of [...] 22. ^Richer, Alanna Durkin; Long, Colleen; Tucker, Eric; Miller, Zeke; Matat, Stephany (September 16, 2024). "Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says". _Associated Press_. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024. [...] The incident occurred two months after Trump survived a previous assassination attempt while speaking at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. Officials say that Routh intended to shoot Trump,( and Routh had been indicted on five federal charges by September 24, including attempting to assassinate a presidential candidate. Routh was additionally indicted on an attempted felony murder charge on December 18. Routh was charged with attempted first-degree murder and terrorism as a result of

  • Attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania - Wikipedia

    On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, then a former president of the United States and presumptive nominee of the Republican Party "Republican Party (United States)") in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt while speaking at an open-air campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.( Trump was shot and wounded in his upper right ear( by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks,( who fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.( Crooks also killed [...] Background At the time of the incident, Donald Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election.( The shooting occurred two days before the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.( A previous attempt at violence toward Trump during one of his rallies happened in 2016, when a man attempted to grab a police officer's gun at a rally outside of Las Vegas.( [...] | v t e |

  • Trump assassination attempt suspect forfeits opening statement at trial

    Prosecutors have said Routh, 59, methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot. [...] FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A suspect on trial for trying to assassinate President Donald Trump while he played golf in South Florida last year forfeited his right to continue making an opening statement on Thursday when he veered off topic and talked about Adolf Hitler and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. [...] Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.

  • Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump |

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Sunday, Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump Chairman Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Ranking Member Jason Crow (D-Colo.) joined CBS’s Face The Nation to discuss the Task Force’s investigation ahead of the release of its upcoming final report this week. Read More [...] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump released redacted transcripts from the 46 interviews with local, state, and federal agencies conducted during its five-month investigation into the assassination attempts on President-elect Donald J. Trump. Read More FINAL REPORT: Task Force Concludes its Investigation, Releases Report Text on Findings and Policy Recommendations December 10, 2024 | Press Release [...] Washington, D.C. -- Today, the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Read More ICYMI: Task Force Chairman Kelly, Ranking Member Crow join CBS’s Face The Nation ahead of final report release December 9, 2024 | Press Release

  • Trump assassination attempt suspect representing himself in trial ...

    Opening statements in the trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump last year began today in South Florida. Ryan Ruth is representing himself in court. Prosecutors claimed the 59-year-old hid with a rifle near Trump's golf course in West Palm Beach last September. Ruth has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. CBS News legal reporter [...] # Trump assassination attempt suspect representing himself in trial, forfeits opening statement ## CBS News 6750000 subscribers 208 likes ### Description 23215 views Posted: 12 Sep 2025 Opening statements began Thursday in the trial for a man accused of trying to assassinate President Trump last year in South Florida. Ryan Routh is representing himself in court. CBS News legal reporter Katrina Kaufman has more.