There have been multiple assassination attempts and plots on Presidents of the United States; there have been over 20 known attempts to kill sitting and former Presidents as well as Presidents-elect. Four successful attempts have resulted in the assasination of Presidents in office. Although attempts have been made to prove that most American assassinations were politically motivated actions, carried out by rational men, not all such assassinations and attempts have been undertaken for truly political reasons. Some have been perpetrated by people of questionable mental stability, and a few were judged legally insane. Since the successor to the presidency, the Vice President of the United States, usually is of the same political party as the President, the assassination of the President is unlikely to result in major policy changes. This may explain why political groups headed by rational leaders typically do not make such attacks.

Abraham Lincoln

James Garfield

John F. Kennedy

William McKinley