Trump Faces Assassination Attempts, Raising Security Concerns

Photo Credit: Evan Vucci/AP NEWS

During the past few months, there have been two separate assassination attempts on former US President Donald Trump. These attempts raised concerns for Trump’s safety and security. 

On July 13, a 20-year-old male named Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at Donald Trump from a rooftop during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.  The shots did not seriously injure the former President, but they did graze his ear.  Crooks was killed by secret service agents shortly after he fired the shots.  According to CNBC, there were rumors that the Trump team requested more security from the Secret Service but were denied due to the department’s “limited resources.” These requests were not made in regard to the situation on July 13.  

CNN reported that the shooter was seen outside the rally, but police were not able to “engage” with him. In her opening remarks before the House Oversight Committee, former US secret service director Kimberly Cheatle admitted the attempt on Trump’s life was, “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.” 

This wouldn’t be the last time an attempt would be made on the former President’s life. On September 15, 58-year-old Ryan Routh was arrested for stalking Trump and attempting to kill him. This incident and subsequent arrest took place at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida.  

Routh, a self-published author, wrote a novel called Ukraine’s Unwinnable War. According to the New York Times, Routh mentioned he was a past Trump voter but now compares Trump to dictators like Vladimir Putin, calling him a “fool” and “idiot.”  Though no shots were fired that day, a Secret Service agent reportedly spotted Routh with a rifle at the scene. Dates and locations where Trump would appear were also found in a handwritten note by Routh.  

The New York Times reported that Routh also offered a cash reward to “anyone who [could] complete the job.” He is currently charged with possession of a firearm as a former felon. His attorneys waved all recent charges, and Routh pled not guilty for the attempted assassination of Trump.  Since he already had many violations, if convicted on all counts, he would spend most of his remaining lifetime in jail.  

Various American politicians expressed their views on these incidents. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, expressed that he felt “grateful that [Trump] survived an assassination attempt.” Mark Pocan, a representative of the Democratic party, stated the attempts were “awful on many levels.”