The US is witnessing a concerning rise in politically driven violence, including several prominent assassination attempts.
The United States is experiencing a troubling increase in political violence. Over the past year, the nation has been rocked by numerous high-profile assassination attempts.
Here’s a summary of these incidents:
Attacks on Donald Trump
On July 13, 2024, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire, with a bullet grazing Trump’s ear, resulting in the death of a rally attendee and injuries to several others.
The shooter was killed by a counter-sniper team that returned fire. A subsequent US Senate inquiry labeled the incident as “foreseeable and preventable.”
Two months later, on September 15, Trump was targeted again when an armed pro-Ukraine individual was spotted outside the US president’s golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Secret Service apprehended the suspect, Ryan Routh, who has since chosen to represent himself in court and challenged Trump to a golf match.
Minnesota House Speaker assassination
Minnesota Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at their home on June 14, 2025. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in a related attack on the same night, barely surviving.
The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, 57, a former private contractor with military experience, was apprehended after a two-day search. Prosecutors allege that Boelter planned and executed the targeted political assassination and possessed a list of approximately 70 other potential targets, an unprecedented plot in Minnesota.
Charlie Kirk killed in Utah
Conservative commentator and Donald Trump supporter, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated on September 10, 2025, while giving a speech at Utah Valley University. The right-wing activist was shot in the neck and died from his injuries in a hospital shortly after the attack.
Details regarding the suspect’s identity or possible motive have not been released.
Illinois violence
On December 18, 2024, right-wing influencer Nick Fuentes reported that an individual armed with a pistol, crossbow, and incendiary devices appeared at his house in Berwyn, Illinois, while he was live-streaming.
The individual was later identified as a suspect in a triple homicide. He was shot and killed by police after a chase, shortly after his encounter with Fuentes.
“`