Honestly, if you’ve been following the news over the last couple of years, the timeline of threats against Donald Trump feels more like a political thriller than actual history. But it's real. People keep asking how many attempts on trump have actually happened, and the answer depends on how you define "attempt."
Are we talking about active shooters? Thwarted plots? Or just weirdos with a forklift?
If you look at the 2024 campaign alone, there were two major, terrifyingly close calls that everyone remembers. But if you dig into the Secret Service files and recent court records from 2025 and early 2026, the list gets a lot longer and much stranger. It’s not just about one guy on a roof in Pennsylvania.
The Two Big Ones: Butler and West Palm Beach
Let’s start with the events that actually made the world stop. On July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks came inches—literally millimeters—from changing history. He fired multiple rounds from a roof just 450 feet away. Trump survived because he turned his head at the last microsecond to look at a chart about immigration.
One bullet grazed his right ear. Tragically, a spectator named Corey Comperatore was killed.
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Then, just two months later on September 15, 2024, it happened again. This time at his golf course in West Palm Beach. Ryan Wesley Routh was spotted by a Secret Service agent who saw a rifle barrel poking through the shrubbery near the sixth hole. Routh didn’t actually get a shot off, but he had a sniper’s nest set up with a camera and body armor.
Basically, the guy was waiting for the perfect moment.
The legal fallout from that one lasted well into 2025. Routh actually tried to represent himself in court, which was a disaster. In September 2025, a jury found him guilty on all counts, including attempted assassination. The sentencing was just set for February 2026, and he’s looking at life in prison.
Beyond the Headlines: The Plots You Might Have Missed
When people talk about how many attempts on trump exist, they often ignore the "prevented" ones. These are the cases where the FBI or Secret Service stepped in before a gun was even drawn.
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- The Iranian Plot: In July 2024, US intelligence picked up chatter about a high-level plot by the Iranian government to assassinate Trump. This was separate from the lone wolves like Crooks. It actually led the Secret Service to increase his security detail before the Butler shooting, though clearly, that wasn't enough to stop a local kid with a ladder.
- The Coachella Incident: In October 2024, a man named Vem Miller was arrested outside a Trump rally in California. He had a loaded shotgun, a handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. He also had a bunch of fake passports. The local sheriff called it a "third attempt," though the FBI later downplayed it, saying Trump was never in immediate danger. Miller claimed he was actually a supporter who just liked guns. Kinda weird, right?
- The Ricin Letters: Twice, people have tried to kill him with poison. In 2018 and again in 2020, envelopes laced with ricin were intercepted before they ever reached him.
The Weird Security Lapses of 2025
You'd think after 2024, security would be airtight. Not exactly.
The Senate Homeland Security Committee released a massive report in July 2025 that basically roasted the Secret Service. They called the Butler incident a "cascade of preventable failures." No one was fired initially, but by late 2025, several agents were finally suspended without pay.
Even in 2025, there were weird "security lapses." In early 2025, there was a major scare at Trump National Golf Club where a man breached the perimeter, though he didn't have a weapon. Then in early 2026, there was a strange incident at Palm Beach International Airport involving a "suspicious package" linked to a man making threats.
Totaling it Up: What’s the Real Number?
So, how many attempts on trump are there?
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If you count "active assassination attempts" where a person was in position with a weapon intending to kill him, the number is four.
- Michael Sandford (2016 - grabbed a cop's gun in Vegas).
- Gregory Leingang (2017 - tried to flip the motorcade with a stolen forklift).
- Thomas Matthew Crooks (2024 - the Butler shooting).
- Ryan Wesley Routh (2024 - the golf course sniper).
If you include credible, charged plots like the ricin letters and the Iranian conspiracy, the number jumps closer to ten.
It’s honestly a miracle the list isn't longer. Most experts agree that Trump attracts a unique level of "fixated individuals"—people who become obsessed with a public figure to the point of violence.
Staying Informed and Safe
Tracking these incidents isn't just about trivia. It’s about understanding the volatility of modern politics. If you want to keep tabs on the ongoing investigations, here is what you can do:
- Follow the House Task Force: They still release transcripts of their interviews with local police and Secret Service agents. It’s the best way to get the "unfiltered" version of what went wrong.
- Check DOJ Press Releases: For cases like Ryan Routh’s, the Department of Justice posts the actual evidence, like the manifestos and digital trails found on the suspects' phones.
- Watch for Policy Changes: The Secret Service is currently undergoing a massive overhaul in 2026. Watch how they handle drone technology—that was the biggest blind spot in the Butler shooting.
The reality of how many attempts on trump have occurred is a sobering reminder of how much "behind the scenes" work goes into keeping a president (or former president) alive. It's not just about the guys in suits and sunglasses; it's about intelligence, luck, and sometimes, just a well-timed turn of the head.