NASA is going to find out the answer
Politics is a dangerous game, sometimes in a very literal sense. Pretty much any president will likely be the subject of multiple assassination attempts. However, some attackers come much closer to achieving their goals than others.
In Brazil, a group of five plotters including five military officers and one police officer have been arrested for their alleged plan to overthrow the government. Their objective was reportedly to prevent the inauguration of the new government after the 2022 elections, in which liberal leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva beat right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. The plot included the assassinations of President Lula, his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, with the end goal of carrying out a coup d’état. The five individuals are in police custody.
Click through this gallery to discover a long list of other political figures who survived assassination attempts.
Donald Trump famously escaped with a minor ear wound when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks took a shot at him during a rally on July 13, 2024. On September 15, Trump was playing golf on his course in West Palm Beach, Florida, when 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was found in the bushes, taking aim at a member of his security team.
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Frico sustained life-threatening injuries from an attempted assassination that took place on May 15, 2024. Frico was leaving a government meeting in the town of Handlova and stopped outside the building to address a crowd. While he was speaking, it was reported that several gunshots rang out and Frico dropped to the ground. The shooter was immediately restrained by onlookers and law enforcement officers, while Frico was quickly carried to a waiting car and rushed to hospital. He underwent surgery and was able to leave hospital two weeks later.
On January 2, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jae-myung, paid a visit to Busan for a public appearance. The opposition leader was giving a press conference at a construction site when a brazen attempt was made on his life in broad daylight. The 66-year-old attacker reportedly approached him under the guise of asking for an autograph, and suddenly lunged at Lee with a knife. The 59-year-old politician was stabbed in the neck before the assailant was restrained and arrested. Lee was airlifted to hospital where doctors confirmed that his injuries weren't life-threatening. Police say that the man intended to kill Lee.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was the political leader in Pakistan from 2018 until April of 2022, when he was ousted from office by a vote of no confidence. After that, he began campaigning for an early election so that he could try to regain his position. He traveled the country in a convoy with his supporters to protest and campaign. They reached the city of Wazirabad on November 3, 2022, and were met with crowds of people waiting to hear Khan speak. He was standing on the back of an open truck bed to make his speech when someone in the crowd opened fire. Khan was shot in the leg, one person was killed, and 10 more were injured before the shooter was subdued by Khan's security and supporters.
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, former Vice President of Argentina, stared death in the face on the evening of August 1, 2022, and made a narrow escape. The politician, who also served as President of Argentina from 2007 to 2015, was greeting crowds of supporters outside her home when a man emerged from the fray and pointed a handgun at her face. The gun was not discharged and the man was subdued by the authorities. The then-President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, later told the public that the gun had been loaded with five bullets but jammed when the perpetrator attempted to shoot Fernández de Kirchner, foiling what could have been a horrific murder.
Former Prime Minister of Sudan Abdalla Hamdok survived an assassination attempt in March 2020 after his convoy was attacked with an explosive device on the way to his office in Khartoum.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was stabbed at a campaign rally on September 6, 2018. The injuries to his intestines almost killed the controversial far-right candidate, but he made a full recovery.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was the target of an assassination attempt during a military parade in the capital, Caracas, on August 5, 2018.
Michael Sandford ended up being sentenced to 12 months in jail. The story inspired the BBC documentary 'The Brit Who Tried to Kill Trump.'
Luckily, the gun failed to shoot and the assailant was tackled to the ground and arrested on the spot. The entire incident was captured on camera.
These politicians were victims of assassination attempts
Five arrested in Brazil for plotting coup and assassinations
LIFESTYLE Violence
Politics is a dangerous game, sometimes in a very literal sense. Pretty much any president will likely be the subject of multiple assassination attempts. However, some attackers come much closer to achieving their goals than others.
In Brazil, a group of five plotters including five military officers and one police officer have been arrested for their alleged plan to overthrow the government. Their objective was reportedly to prevent the inauguration of the new government after the 2022 elections, in which liberal leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva beat right-wing incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. The plot included the assassinations of President Lula, his vice president, Geraldo Alckmin, and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, with the end goal of carrying out a coup d’état. The five individuals are in police custody.
Click through this gallery to discover a long list of other political figures who held onto their lives despite assassination attempts.