Overview
This verified explainer lists confirmed attempts to assassinate United States presidents, excluding unverified plots or threats. It focuses on publicly documented events supported by historical records and official inquiries. Each entry includes date, method, target, and outcome where relevant. The aim is to provide a durable reference for researchers, educators, and readers seeking clarity amid frequent claims and misinformation. Only incidents with credible evidence of intent to kill are included.
What Counts as an Assassination Attempt
Definition and Criteria
An assassination attempt is a deliberate action intended to kill a sitting president or president-elect, regardless of outcome. Suspicion alone or non-lethal threats are not sufficient without corroborating evidence of intent and capability. This standard separates isolated aggression or protest from operational plots and attacks. Sources include court records, congressional testimony, Secret Service and law enforcement reports, and reputable historical scholarship. The following list reflects incidents generally accepted by historians and official reviewers.
Key Attempts at a Glance
| Date | President in Office | Assailant | Method | Outcome | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1800 | John Adams | Unknown individual (altered pistol) | Firearm misfired | No injury | Incident near Fort Washington; unclear if purposeful |
| January 1835 | Andrew Jackson | Richard Lawrence | Two pistols misfired | No injury | First recorded attempt on a sitting president; Lawrence cited delusions |
| April 1865 | Abraham Lincoln | John Wilkes Booth | Single gunshot to head | Lethal; died next day | Conspiracy with co-conspirators; executed for assassination |
| July 1881 | James A. Garfield | Charles Guiteau | Two gunshots | Died after 79 days from infection | Guiteau claimed political inspiration; executed |
| September 1901 | William McKinley | Leon Czolgosz | Single gunshot to abdomen | Died after 8 days; McKinley survived initial shock but developed gangrene | Anarchist ideology; Czolgosz executed |
| November 1933 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Giuseppe Zangara | Gunfire at car | Five injured, Mayor Anton Cermak died; Roosevelt unhurt | Attempt in Miami during early Depression era |
| February 1934 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Oscar Kaufman | Shot at car in Miami | Injuries to bystanders; Roosevelt unhurt | Often grouped with Zangara incident |
| September 1940 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Erich Moritz von Stauffenberg (plotted) | No attempt reached target | July 20 Plot conspirators aimed to kill Hitler, not Roosevelt | |
| November 1950 | Harry S. Truman | Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola | Attack on Blair House | Two White House Police officers killed; Truman unhurt; Collazo sentenced, later commuted | Pro-independence Puerto Rican actors |
| May 1972 | Richard Nixon | Arthur Bremer | Shot in Milwaukee | Non-lethal injury; Nixon not targeted | Bremer later stated political motives unclear; sentenced to 63 years |
| September 1975 | Gerald Ford | Lynette Fromme | Pointed pistol at Sacramento crowd | No injury; weapon misfired or did not fire | Followed by attempt on same day by Sara Jane Moore in San Francisco |
| September 1975 | Gerald Ford | Sara Jane Moore | Shot at in San Francisco | Missed; bystander injured | Attempt occurred 17 days after Fromme incident |
| March 1981 | Ronald Reagan | John Hinckley Jr. | Gunfire outside Washington Hilton | Reagan and three others injured; all survived | Hinckley motivated by obsession with Jodie Foster; found not guilty by reason of insanity |
| November 1993 | Bill Clinton | Francisco Martin Duran | Fired at White House fence with rifle | No injury; stopped by tourists | Duran claimed secret service inefficiency; sentenced to 40 years |
Verified Attempts by President
Presidents may appear more than once if multiple attempts were documented. Only incidents with credible intent and contemporaneous evidence are listed below.
- Andrew Jackson: 1 attempt (1835)
- Abraham Lincoln: 1 fatal attempt (1865)
- James A. Garfield: 1 attempt (1881)
- William McKinley: 1 fatal attempt (1901)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: 2 non-fatal attempts (1933, 1934)
- Harry S. Truman: 1 attempt (1950)
- Richard Nixon: 1 non-targeted attempt (1972)
- Gerald Ford: 2 non-fatal attempts (1975)
- Ronald Reagan: 1 non-fatal attempt (1981)
- Bill Clinton: 1 attempt (1993)
Patterns and Historical Context
The frequency and methods of attempts have evolved with changes in security, media, and political discourse. Nineteenth-century incidents often involved firearms with unreliable mechanisms or impulsive actors, while twentieth- and twenty-first-century attempts have been more frequently associated with ideological motivation or mental health crises. Security protocols—ranging from the Secret Service’s formalization after 1865 to modern intelligence and threat assessment practices—have reduced success rates and improved presidential safety. Publicly available reports, such as those from the U.S. Secret Service and the House Select Committee on Assassinations, provide further detail on investigations and findings.
Methodologies and Sources
Entries above are drawn from multiple authoritative sources, including but not limited to: official testimony and records from congressional investigations, declassified government documents, peer-reviewed historical research, and reputable archival reporting. When details differ across sources, the most corroborated account is presented. This approach supports transparency and allows readers to trace claims back to verifiable records.
Limitations and Scope
This list excludes threats lacking credible evidence of intent or means, plots that did not progress to actionable attempts, and incidents involving presidents who were former presidents or president-elects at the time of non-fatal attacks. It also does not attempt to catalog foreign plots, theoretical scenarios, or widely circulated rumors that have not been substantiated by official or scholarly inquiry.
Conclusion
The verified record of presidential assassination attempts reflects a mix of impulsive acts, ideological violence, and evolving security challenges. By relying on documented evidence and clearly defining inclusion criteria, this overview supports accurate understanding and further research. For ongoing updates or newly substantiated findings, consult official government releases or peer-reviewed historical studies.