Second assassination attempt on former President Trump brings reflection of 1968 political climate

WEST PALM BEACH, FL — The second apparent assassination attempt of former President Trump is further perpetuating concerns about the current political climate.

It’s also bringing some reflection to a time when violence rocked the United States during a major presidential election year more than 50 years ago.

The Secret Service fired shots at a suspect who was seen with a high-powered rifle near former President Donald Trump’s golf course near West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.

The incident happened about two months after a would-be assassin’s bullet clipped Trump’s ear in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“This is the most chaotic political year since 1968 which saw two assassinations against prominent leaders,” said Tom Whalen, political historian and BU professor. “Fortunately, Trump has successfully avoided them.”

Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated just two months apart in 1968.

Whalen said increasing acts of violence on both the left and the right brought imminent concerns during that time.

He worries about what Sunday’s apparent assassination attempt on Trump could mean for the weeks ahead of the November election.

“The threat of violence is hovering in the air,” he said. “We live in a violent society, and this, unfortunately, I think is going to be the norm of the future.”

The escalating tensions this election cycle are raising some questions about security protocols for presidential candidates.

“There’s different rules usually for former presidents than sitting presidents,” said Boston 25 News Security Analyst Dan Linskey. “I think it’s time to look at those rules especially in the light of two potential threats that could’ve taken the life of former President Trump.”

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Election 2024 Trump The main entrance of Trump International Golf Club is seen after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) (Terry Renna/AP)

Linskey, who is the former superintendent-in-chief of the Boston Police Department, believes the armed suspect never would’ve got that close to Trump if he was a sitting president.

“The Secret Service would’ve taken those with the local Palm Beach County authorities and made sure there was no access or limited access for a person to get in a position to do this,” he added.

Linskey said one challenge in reviewing current protocol is that the Secret Service has limited resources and an increasing number of threats to scope out.

“It will be interesting to see how the Secret Service adapts to this,” he added. “What resources we see and how quickly we see that change.”

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