By Harold Pease, Ph. D.

The nation is more concerned about an assassination of President Trump than ever, but let’s not undermine that threat by calling the sniper at Trump’s Golf Course, September 15, 2024, the second assassination attempt, with the Butler Pennsylvania rally the first, leaving out three known attempts before. Let’s briefly cover what is new with Butler and those attempts before.

Protestors are tussling with Secret Service over the last fence barrier before, though sheer force of numbers, invading the White House. Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker below for safety, Notice the fire in the distance, top middle of the photo. Reinforcements and pepper spray finally stopped them. Some 60 Secret Service members were injured!! What if they had breached this last fence and had access to Trump? Where are the discussions and investigations of how Trump and / or democracy barely survived that day?

Number 4, Butler, Pennsylvania Rally July 13, 2024, Trump Assassination Attempt. Everyone knows the lone gunman Deep State narrative, would be all that most would get, despite all the evidence available (“Was Trump’s Assassination Attempt an Organized Deep State Operation?,” July 17 2024, and “Deep State’s Lone Shooter Narrative 100% Debunked by Forensic Data,” July 24, 2024, both by LibertyUnderFire.org). Predictably a lone gunman was the FBI’s final report released a month ago. We have learned since that Thomas Matthew Crooks was taken out—not by Secret Service snipers as alleged—but by local law enforcement. Where were the Secret Service or FBI? So many questions yet to be answered.

Moreover, we have learned that the FBI still refuses to release Trump assassination records on the Freedom of Information Request by Judicial Watch. This organization requested the following for July 13 “all records of the FBI including emails, email change, email attachments, text messaging, video or audio recordings, photographs/drawings, outlook calendars, meeting minutes, finished intelligence products, bolton raw intelligence, threat products, correspondence, statements, letters, memorandum, report briefings, presentations, notes, summaries, or other forms of records, regarding preparation and coordination of the United States Secret Service for former President Trump for that campaign rally that was held in Butler, Pennsylvania, or on July 13.” (Ep. 3425b, Aug. 12, 2024, 49:33). Many believe FBI and Secret Service players participation in the attempted assassination. Refusing to provide information does not help them.

Number 3, Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home was raided by the FBI August 8, 2022. Newly released court documents forced out of the Department of Justice largely by America First Legal revealed unacceptable details about the FBI’s raid. Many conservatives believe it was a failed attempt by Deep State leaders, Joe Biden and Merrick Garland, to endanger Donald J. Trump, his family and the U.S.Secret Service (USSS) in a potential line of fire should the raid go awry—with Trump perhaps the intended victim. According to the filing, “The DOJ and FBI agents planned to bring standard issue weapons, MO, handcuffs and medium and large sized bolt cutters. They were also instructed to wear unmarked polo or collared shirts and to keep law enforcement equipment concealed.” (Brooke Singman, Fox and Friends, Fox News, May 21, 2024). Why? So Trump might think them thieves and protect himself drawing fire? Thirty agents descended that evening on Trump’s home (“FBI’s Deadly Force Policy on President Trump Smells Really Bad,” LibertyUnderFire.org, June 5, 2024). All of this is nearly two year old news, except the authorization to use deadly force entrapment ending in Trump’s planned death in a gun fire exchange between USSS and FBI agents dressed in plain clothes in the dark of the night. Casualties in the “accident” would be considered necessary collateral damage. A very sober and serious charge but what other explanation exists?

Number 2, Attack on Trump in the White House, 60 USSS agents injured, May 30, 2020.
Remember May 30, 2020, at Trump’s White House residence when hundreds of angry Black Lives Matter and Antifa anarchists violently protested the death of George Floyd and simultaneously threatened President Trump. They burned cars and pillaged businesses in big cities across the nation. They wanted to do the same to the White House and its resident. They evened burned St Johns Episcopal Church across the street. CNN reported, “More than 60 US Secret Service Uniformed Division officers and special agents were injured starting Friday night through Sunday morning near the White House as protests rocked Washington DC. Rioters breached the fences surrounding the White House. They tussled over the last fence barrier.”

U.S. Secret Service members stand guard outside former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home after FBI agents raided it, in Palm Beach, Florida, Aug.8, 2022. They could have mistakenly exchanged fire with FBI agents dressed in plain clothes. Had he been at MAL instead of Trump Tower in New York City any misstep could have left him the target of the FBI. Casualties would be considered necessary collateral damage and the Deep State would have removed their arch enemy willing to reveal them.

The Hill reported, “Barricades have fallen to the west of the White House and the crowd is surging forward, once again coming face-to-face with Secret Service who’ve moved into formation and raised their riot shields” Yahoo! News reported, “The demonstrations led to dramatic clashes involving fists, shields and tear gas against the backdrop of Trump’s official residence.” As Trump’s home, the White House itself, looked next to be breached “Secret Service agents rushed President Donald Trump to a White House bunker.” (“Remembering Trump’s Bout with Deadly Force at his Home 4 Years Ago,” LibertyUnderFire.org, 06/12/2024).

Number 1, Trump’s Assassination Attempt in Las Vegas, Nevada rally, June 17, 2016. The first assassination attempt on Donald Trump occurred while a candidate for president by a most unlikely assassin, a resident of Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom overstaying his VISA. Michael Steven Sandford, age 20, spent a year and a half in New Jersey before traveling to California then Las Vegas, where he attended a Trump rally at the Mystery Theater in the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. He was arrested after trying to grab an officer’s gun from her holster. He had lingered near the officer, telling her he wanted Mr. Trump’s autograph. In an interview after his arrest, Mr. Sandford told the authorities that he “made a conscious effort to come to Las Vegas to kill Trump,” and that he had been “planning to attempt to kill Trump for about a year.” He also said, “He expected to be killed by law enforcement personnel during his attempt on Mr. Trump’s life. (Man Arrested at Rally tells Authorities ‘He’ Wanted to Kill Donald Trump, New York Times, Nick Corasaniti, June 20, 2016). Sandford was ultimately sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, then when served, deported back to the United Kingdom.

As a candidate for, or president, Trump’s life has been threatened five times from June 17, 2016 through September 15, 2024, a span of eight years; four as a candidate one as president.



Dr. Harold Pease is an expert on the United States Constitution and a syndicated columnist. He has dedicated his career to studying the writings of the Founding Fathers and applying that knowledge to current events. He taught history and political science from this perspective for over 30 years at Taft College. Newspapers have permission to publish this column. Read his weekly columns at www.LibertyUnderFire.org Column # 786