"We are in a period of increased tensions. It has to do with the general polarization in American society, which has increased as well, and it is spilling over from arguments to violence," says Dag Blanck, professor of North American studies at Uppsala University.
He is not surprised by the suspected assassination attempt. However, the fact that it took place at a dinner for journalists, an event that Trump had previously missed and was now attending for the first time, led to an unexpected aftermath.
“Obviously under the influence”
It was striking, if you look at the press conference Trump held when he returned to the White House, how much milder he was, says Dag Blanck.
He was clearly affected by this. He was not at all the confrontational Trump, but was positive about the press, saying "You did a good job" in terms of how they had covered what had happened, and he thanked the journalists.
“Increased sympathies”
The assassination attempt in Washington is the third in just a couple of years. Two attempts were made during Trump's 2024 election campaign.
Normally, when something like this happens, it naturally leads to increased sympathy. We also saw that after the attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, but it is usually temporary, says Blanck.
He reminds us that political violence has a long tradition in the United States.
Political violence has increased in recent years, but it has always been present. Four American presidents have been shot and murdered while in office. So this is a factor in American political life. And it has been since the assassination of President Lincoln, who was the first to be assassinated.
Facts: Assassinations and attempted assassinations of American presidents
1865: Abraham Lincoln was shot to death by actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre the day after the end of the Civil War.
1881: James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at a train station in Washington and died 79 days later.
1901: William McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz during a public appearance and died eight days later.
1912: Theodore Roosevelt was shot during an election campaign in Milwaukee but survived and delivered his speech anyway.
1963: John F. Kennedy was shot dead in a motorcade in Dallas.
1975: President Gerald Ford was the target of two separate assassination attempts in California, just 17 days apart. He escaped unharmed both times.
1981: Ronald Reagan was shot but survived an attack outside the Washington Hilton hotel, the same hotel where the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and his administration took place during the 2026 Correspondents' Dinner.
July 13, 2024 – Butler, Pennsylvania: Trump was shot and hit in the ear during a campaign rally. One bystander was killed and two were injured. The perpetrator was Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who fired from a rooftop with a rifle and was killed at the scene by the Secret Service.
September 15, 2024 – West Palm Beach, Florida: The Secret Service spotted a gunman in the bushes at Trump's golf club before he could fire. Trump escaped unharmed. The gunman, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, was arrested while fleeing.
February 22, 2026: A man was shot and killed while trying to enter Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump's Florida home. The man was reportedly armed with a rifle and a gas can. However, Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time.
April 25, 2026 – Washington, DC: Shots were fired at the Washington Hilton Correspondents' Dinner. No one was injured and Trump was evacuated.
