At the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner held at the Hilton in Washington, D.C., on the 25th (local time), shots were fired and U.S. President Donald Trump was evacuated, drawing attention to the fact that he was exposed to no fewer than three shooting incidents over 21 months starting in July 2024.
The first incident took place on July 13, 2024, at an outdoor rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, stationed on the roof of a nearby building, fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle at President Trump as he held his second campaign rally. One round grazed the upper part of Trump's right ear. Corey Comperatore, 50, a former volunteer fire chief in the crowd, died after shielding his family with his body, and two people, including David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were seriously wounded. Crooks was shot dead at the scene by a Secret Service sniper.
Immediately after being shot, President Trump stood up with blood on his face, raised his right fist, and shouted, "Fight, Fight, Fight." The scene captured by AP photographer Evan Vucci remained a defining image symbolizing the 2024 election. Doug Mills of the New York Times (NYT) captured the trajectory of the bullet that grazed Trump's head and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2025.
Two months later, on Sept. 15, 2024, the second incident occurred at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ryan Routh, 58, from Hawaii, lay in wait for nearly 12 hours in the brush beyond the fence of the 6th hole with an AK-47-type rifle and ballistic plates. Just before President Trump moved from the 5th hole to the 6th, Secret Service agent Robert Firkaly, who was conducting an advance sweep, spotted the muzzle aimed from the bushes and fired four rounds toward it. Routh fled in a vehicle without firing a single shot after Firkaly's gunfire, but was arrested on a nearby highway. In the bushes, an AK-47-type rifle with a scope and two backpacks were found.
The FBI classified the case as attempted assassination. Routh was found guilty on all five counts in September 2025 and, on Feb. 4, 2026, received a life sentence and an additional seven years for a firearms offense from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, whom President Trump appointed during his first term.
The third was the Washington Hilton dinner shooting on the 25th. According to combined reports from CBS and Fox News, a man in his 30s from California, armed, approached as far as the metal detector at the entrance to the banquet hall, then drew a gun and fired at least four rounds, but was arrested at the scene by Secret Service agents. President Trump was not injured and evacuated to a secure area with first lady Melania. It was exactly 45 years since then-President Ronald Reagan was shot and left in critical condition by John Hinckley Jr. at the same hotel in 1981.
세 번째는 25일 벌어진 워싱턴 힐튼 만찬 총격 사건이다. CBS와 폭스뉴스 보도를 종합하면 캘리포니아 출신 30대 남성 무장 괴한은 만찬장 입구의 금속탐지기 앞까지 접근한 직후, 총기를 꺼내 최소 4발 이상을 격발했지만 현장에서 비밀경호국 요원에게 체포됐다. 트럼프 대통령은 다치지 않았고, 멜라니아 여사와 함께 안전 구역으로 대피했다. 1981년 같은 호텔에서 로널드 레이건 당시 대통령이 존 힝클리 주니어가 쏜 총에 맞고 중태에 빠진 지 정확히 45년 만이었다.
All three incidents occurred in different settings: an outdoor rally, a private golf course, and an event where the president, vice president, the defense and state secretaries, and the FBI director were present together. President Trump was exposed to gunfire risks in different ways each time and survived unscathed each time.
After each incident, President Trump responded with the image of a strong leader. Instead of cutting back on outside activities in anticipation of follow-up attempts, he stepped before the press and took the lead in publicizing the cases. In particular, the bleeding ear and raised fist at the Butler rally became a symbol that spread the MAGA movement. The newsweekly Time analyzed, "The Butler shooting remained a defining moment for Donald Trump and the MAGA movement he leads." The photo taken by Vucci was printed on T-shirts, mugs, and car magnets and sold briskly.
The White House turned the same scene into a painting and, in April 2025, hung it in place of former President Barack Obama's portrait at the White House. CNN reported that right after Butler, President Trump told close aides, "We need to leave a strong image with supporters." The explanation is that he has consistently shown a political instinct not to display weakness.
Right after the Florida incident, President Trump said he would "not kneel for a moment" and immediately resumed his campaign schedule. Right after evacuating from the dinner this time, President Trump wrote on Truth Social, "The Secret Service and law enforcement acted swiftly and bravely," adding, "The show must go on."