Trump compares himself to Abraham Lincoln after assassination attempt claiming his 'impact' made him target

Donald Trump compared himself to Abraham Lincoln after surviving a third assassination attempt in under two years, framing the repeated threats against him as a sign of his historical impact. At a press conference following the dramatic security breach at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, a reporter asked why the President thinks these attempts keep happening to him. Donald Trump replied: "Well, you know, I've studied assassinations, and I must tell you, the most impactful people, the people that do the most. "You take a look at the people... Abraham Lincoln. I mean, you go through the people who have gone through this where they got them. But the people that do the most, the people that make the biggest impact, they're the ones that they go after. " His remarks came just hours after an armed man stormed the Washington Hilton, breaching security during one of the most high-profile political gatherings in the United States. The suspect, carrying guns and knives, was seen on video running through a metal detector and charging toward the ballroom before being tackled by security. One officer was shot, though protected by a bullet-resistant vest, while Trump and other senior officials were rushed to safety. The incident has been widely condemned as a major security failure. Former defence intelligence agency officer, Andrew Badger, told Sky News: "I think this is a historic event. What strikes me is that eight out of the nine cabinet members who would succeed President Trump were at this single event...this is a historic failure, this gunman should never have got that close to the President." The latest attack adds to a pattern of threats that Trump referenced in his remarks, using them to draw parallels with past leaders who were targeted. The most serious prior attempt occurred on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, when Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight shots from a rooftop, grazing Trump’s ear and killing Corey Comperatore, who was trying to shield his family from the gunfire. Two others were seriously injured before the gunman was killed by a Secret Service sniper. In September 2024, Ryan Wesley Routh was discovered with a rifle at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, fleeing after being spotted by agents. He was later arrested and is now serving a life sentence. Other incidents include an armed impersonation by Melvin Eng at a golf event in 2025, and a fatal shooting of Austin T. Martin after he breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago earlier this year. Saturday’s incident also revived memories of the 1981 shooting of Ronald Reagan at the same hotel, when John Hinckley Jr. opened fire outside the venue. Despite decades of enhanced security measures at the Washington Hilton, the latest breach has intensified scrutiny. Former FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam said: "There has been better security at events like the Superbowl. You cannot get a bag in, bigger than a purse. I cannot for the life of me understand how this keeps happening." Barry Donadio, who is also a former FBI agent, added: "I have manned check points like that. Watching the video of him running to get through gave me chills. He ran quickly. If they had not stopped him then he would have got right through. They did exactly what they were supposed to do, but that video is terrifying." With three assassination attempts and multiple security breaches now behind him, Trump is increasingly casting these events as part of a broader narrative, which places him alongside figures like Lincoln, and frames the threats against him as a consequence of what he describes as his lasting impact.