The attempted assassination of former President Trump, a candidate for the presidency under the Republican banner, is a stark reminder of the violence that has visited American Presidents and candidates for President over the past 189 years. “At least 15 assassination attempts or assassinations have occurred in the U.S. since 1835.
Four presidents have been assassinated, as were two presidential candidates. Meanwhile, numerous other attempts have been made on the lives of current former presidents and other elected officials.”
The consequences reflected in the results of assassinations or assassination attempts have varied with the times and the Presidents. Of the four Presidents that were assassinated while in office, Abraham Lincoln in 1865, James Garfield in 1881, William McKinley in 1901 and John F. Kennedy in 1963, Lincoln and Kennedy’s deaths appear to have resulted in more serious consequences.
President Lincoln was murdered five days after General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse ending the American Civil War. It can be argued that Lincoln’s death at this critical moment robbed the country of his leadership and statementship needed to repair the damage caused by the war and bring unity back to a broken country in better order and timely fashion.
President Kennedy was running for reelection when he was killed in Dallas. He had experienced the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles supported by the United States three months into his administration. He came to see the invasion as a mistake and took away further U.S. support. Sensing weakness, the Soviet Union a year later began to install nuclear missiles in Cuba. For 13 days the President and the country faced nuclear war, stood fast and found a solution agreeable to the Soviets. They had tested the young President and found him to be a worthy opponent.
The Vietnam War that had been going on since 1955 began to draw more U.S. troops that increased from 1,000 advisors to 23,000 by the end of 1963. If Kennedy had not been assassinated that year and was reelected, he had an opportunity to change his mind as he did in the Bay of Pigs decision and reverse an involvement that eventually cost our country more than 58,000 warriors.
Unsuccessful assassination attempts of Presidents or former Presidents are numerous and include Presidents Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. Among the most important are that of Presidents Jackson which would have altered the development of the Democratic Party, that of Franklin Roosevelt would have eliminated the popular response to the Great Depression, that of Ronald Reagan would not have allowed him to see death of the Soviet Union as well as bring about the beginning of a great economic turnaround and that of Barack Obama would have put the continued economic progress after the Great Recession into question.The death of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania would not have changed the scenario of a divided country. It would however, have created fertile grounds for a higher intensity of violence.
The near-miss and the image of Trump with his ear patch has allowed the undecided to take a step back, perhaps ignore for the moment his message and criminal baggage and look again at what he is about.
The withdrawal of President Biden from the reelection race is of more consequence because it provides an opportunity for a fresh face and presence of a new generation at the top. This is perhaps what America may be looking for.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to news@lavozcolorado.com.
