Trump assassination attempt: ‘Not new phenomenon’ in US political history, lecturer says Donald Trump was wounded in an assassination attempt by a gunman at a campaign rally Saturday, in a chaotic and shocking incident set to supercharge political tensions ahead of the polarising US presidential election. Trump’s shooting however is “not a new phenomenon”, said Richard Johnson, Lecturer in US Politics, Queen Mary University of London, pointing to the US’ long history of assassinations on presidential and presidential candidates.