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Inside the FBI highlights news, cases, and people from around the Bureau—in audio form. For more information, visit fbi.gov.
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Narrator: The FBI is investigating the shooting incident at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in one victim's death and injuries to former President Donald Trump and two spectators, as an assassination attempt and potential domestic terrorism.
We’re limited in what information we can share about the investigation, since it is ongoing. But you can visit fbi.gov/butler-updates to read our latest statements, press releases, speeches, and congressional testimony related to the case.
On this episode of our podcast, we will discuss why the FBI investigates assassination attempts and the Bureau’s history of handling these kinds of cases. Finally, we’ll let you know how you can send us tips that could aid in the current investigation.
This is Inside the FBI.
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Narrator: The FBI has had a role in investigations related to assassinations and attempted assassinations since our earliest days.
Dr. John Fox: And in those situations over time where people have threatened the lives of the president or vice president or other senior officials, the FBI often plays an investigative role.
Narrator: That’s FBI Historian Dr. John Fox.
Dr. Fox: Of course, it wasn't until after the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 that Congress actually passed a law making it a federal crime to assassinate the president or attempt to do so. And, of course, the investigations of such things fall under the FBI.
In the course of the work that we do...
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Dr. Fox: ...we often come across threats of such a nature.
Narrator: In these cases, Dr. Fox explains, the FBI works with our partners to investigate.
Dr. Fox: And, so, the Bureau's very broad criminal investigative mission—as well as its national security responsibilities—entail that we're deeply involved in anything that might threaten our leaders in such a way.
Narrator: The FBI has conducted multiple investigations related to assassinations—both actual and attempted. The most notable of these cases might be our investigation into the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, but it’s not the only one.
Dr. Fox: We investigated elements of the attempts to attack President [Harry S.] Truman at Blair House in 1950. We investigated aspects of threats against President [Franklin Delano] Roosevelt in the 1940s.
Narrator: The FBI also investigated the assassination of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, and the attempted assassinations of presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972 and of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Narrator: And even if an attempted assassin is deceased, FBI investigations are crucial because they can help us prevent future attacks.
Dr. Fox: The need to investigate comes down to a number of things.
How did it happen? Why did it happen? What were the motives?
These are all questions that we need to answer so that we can prevent such events in the future.
Narrator: It’s also critical to determine whether the attempted assassin was acting alone or in concert with co-conspirators. According to Dr. Fox, most of the attempted and actual assassinations that the FBI has investigated were found to be carried out by so-called “lone wolves.”
Dr. Fox: But the fear that there might be others involved is something that we have to take very seriously and do take very seriously.
If there were others involved, we obviously want to bring them to justice.
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Narrator: The FBI has received hundreds of digital media tips, which include photos and videos taken at the scene, and we continue to review incoming tips.
We encourage anyone with information that may help the ongoing investigation to share it with us online at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. That’s 1-800-225-5324.
You can submit tips to the Bureau anonymously, and no detail is too small to share.
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This has been another production of Inside the FBI. You can follow us on your favorite podcast player, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. You can also subscribe to email alerts about new episodes at fbi.gov/podcasts.
On behalf of the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs, thanks for listening.
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