A surge of political violence has shaken the United States, as the nation reels from a series of high-profile assassination attempts.
The U.S. is facing an alarming wave of political violence: in just one year, there have been five assassinations or attempted assassinations that shocked the public. These events raise critical national security concerns, particularly over the safety of political leaders.
The first shocking incident occurred in July 2024, when Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, narrowly escaped death at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attacker, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, opened fire, killing one attendee and injuring several others before being shot dead by a sniper. A subsequent U.S. Senate investigation concluded that the attack was “foreseeable and preventable.”
Just two months later, Trump once again became the target of an assassination attempt when a pro-Ukraine gunman carrying heavy weapons appeared outside his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The suspect, Ryan Routh, was arrested, defended himself in court, and even provocatively challenged Trump to a golf match.
On December 18, 2024, in Illinois, far-right figure Nick Fuentes suddenly faced danger when an armed man carrying a handgun, a crossbow, and incendiary materials showed up while Fuentes was livestreaming. The assailant, already a suspect in the killing of three people, was shot dead by police after a chase.
By June 2025, shockwaves hit again when Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed in their home. State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were also severely injured in a related attack. The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Luther Boelter, a military veteran, was arrested after a two-day manhunt. Prosecutors revealed he had prepared a “kill list” with up to 70 targets, making it one of the most sweeping political assassination plots in the state’s history.
The most recent incident occurred on September 10, 2025, when conservative commentator and Trump ally Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University. He later died at the hospital. So far, no information about the shooter’s identity or motive has been released.
This series of violent attacks within such a short span of time poses an enormous challenge to U.S. security forces in protecting politicians and other public figures.