Assassination plots against the presidents and former presidents of the United States have been a disturbing feature of American political life. Recently, former President Donald Trump faced his second assassination attempt in several months and re-ignited debate about the risks of public office. Trump is by no means alone in this grim history: famous statesmen like Abraham Lincoln and Gerald Ford experienced more than one attempt on their lives.
Abraham Lincoln: A target of political violence
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, has to be one of the most well-known victims of an assassination in American history. Lincoln was attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., when he was shot on April 14, 1865, by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth. This tragic act came only days after the conclusion of the Civil War and was a monumental pivot in American history. Booth’s motivations were very much based in his disagreement over the policies that Lincoln was implementing, especially those pertaining to African American rights.
Lincoln was not the only one who suffered at the hands of Booth’s plans, as earlier in the night Booth and some of his co-conspirators discussed the killing of various key government officials in an effort to create turmoil in the Union leadership. While Booth managed to kill Lincoln, another conspirator, Lewis Powell, tried but failed to kill Secretary of State William Seward because of Seward’s saving metal surgical collar. In fact, this was all part of a coordinated attack-one that came precariously close to Lincoln’s losing not only his own life but even the stability of the government in such tumultuous times.
Gerald Ford: Surviving two attempts in quick succession
Two assassination attempts blemished Gerald Ford’s presidency within an incredibly short 17 days in September 1975. The first attempt was in early September on the 5th when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme of the Manson Family cult pointed a Colt .45 at Ford during a public appearance in Sacramento. Luckily for Ford, Fromme’s gun misfired, and she was quickly apprehended by Secret Service agents.
Just seventeen days later, on September 22, Sara Jane Moore fired at Ford as he left a hotel in San Francisco. Thankfully, Moore missed her shot because a bystander, Oliver Sipple, was nearby to tackle the shooter and deflect the bullet away from Ford. The attempts on Ford’s life are another indication of not only the dangers that come with the presidency but also how political extremism can manifest in graphic, violent displays.
Comparative analysis of assassination attempts
Assassination attempts on Lincoln and Ford show not only similarities but also differences in the nature of threats that U.S. presidents face.
Though Lincoln fell victim to a singularly lethal attack inspired by intense political conviction during times of national turmoil, Ford was attacked twice in a stable political climate by lone radicals.
The continuing threat
What the recent assault on Donald Trump demonstrates all too painfully is not that the possibility of such a violent attack against an American president is anything new but rather an ongoing part of the broad and bloody tapestry of political violence which has shaped our nation. As we reflect on the near-misses of a president’s close call with death, such as Lincoln and Ford, it is clear that the protection of a leader is never-ending in American democracy. Their steadfastness in response to danger speaks much about commitment to role and the enduring spirit of the nation under adversity.
