Here’s California’s history with presidential assassination attempts in wake of Trump shooting

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CALIFORNIA AND PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS

California has its own history with presidential and presidential candidate assassination attempts. Here’s a look back following the one against former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.

Then-President Gerald Ford was the target of two here in the state in 1975 and uninjured in both.

Ford was en route to a meeting with California’s then-Gov. Jerry Brown in Sacramento when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, attempted to fire a semi-automatic pistol at Ford. But she hadn’t chambered a round in the gun and unsuccessfully attempted to fire.

A little over two weeks later, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot Ford outside a hotel in San Francisco. She missed on her first shot and a bystander grabbed her arm as she attempted another, which hit someone else.

Both Fromme and Moore were imprisoned for 34 and 32 years, respectively.

In 1968, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy died after being shot at a Los Angeles hotel after giving a speech for winning the California primary. Five other people were wounded in the shooting by Sirhan Sirhan.

Then-President Ronald Reagan, a former California governor, was shot by John Hinckley Jr. leaving a speech in Washington, D.C., in 1981. Reagan recovered. Three other people were shot, including his press secretary, James Brady, who was partially paralyzed as a result.

TRUMP SHOOTING PROMPTS BOOST FOR CA SECURITY BILL

Via Nicole Nixon...

The attempted assassination of Trump put candidates of all political stripes on edge as the latest in a growing trend of violence in American politics.

It also underlines the need to remove limits for how much in campaign funds candidates can spend on personal security, said Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland.

Currently, state law allows candidates to use campaign funds on home security systems, but only if there have been threats made against them. The spending is capped at $5,000. Her bill, AB 2041, would remove many of those barriers.

“What we saw on Saturday was proof that political violence continues to plague our democracy and reaffirms to me that we urgently need to allow state candidates to invest in their safety and fund security for themselves, their families, and their staff,” Bonta said in a statement.

The bill would allow candidates to spend campaign money on “reasonable costs” to provide personal security while requiring them to keep detailed spending records.

Bonta’s bill stems from personal experience receiving harassment and intimidation on the campaign trail.

“When I connected with other candidates, particularly women of color and female LGBTQ+ candidates, I was saddened to learn that I wasn’t alone,” she said. “We should not accept that signing up to run or take an oath of office means we face a deluge of harassment, threats, and stalking.”

A recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law found that 43% of state legislators and 18% of local elected officials reported receiving threats or harassment. Women and people of color reported higher rates of abuse.

Bonta’s bill has already passed the Assembly with bipartisan support and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. If approved by two-thirds of lawmakers, it would take effect immediately, allowing candidates to take advantage of the reforms leading up to the 2024 election.

Still, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar Bonta bill in 2023.

“Without more guidance on what would or would not be allowed as a legitimate use of campaign funds, this bill could have unintended consequences and could lead to use of political donations for expenditures far beyond what any reasonable donor would expect,” Newsom wrote in his reason for vetoing it.

CALIFORNIA OFFICERS ASSISTING AT RNC

Via Nicole Nixon...

Dozens of California law enforcement officers are in Milwaukee this week to assist with security for the Republican National Convention.

The deployment has been in the works since May, according to Newsom’s office, and is coordinated by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. It is organized through a cooperative agreement between states and the federal government for mutual assistance during emergencies and large-scale events.

This year’s convention is taking place two days after Trump survived an assassination attempt. The former president officially became the GOP’s 2024 presidential nominee on Monday.

There’s a notable increase in security compared with past conventions, according to McClatchy correspondent David Lightman, who is covering the convention.

Sixty-one officers, including 40 from the California Highway Patrol and others from the Bakersfield, Fresno and Long Beach police departments, will be on-hand to provide security, crowd control and other measures during the convention.

“Public safety transcends party lines,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is proud to support our law enforcement colleagues in Wisconsin during this important political event. Working together, we are helping to provide a safe and secure environment for all participants at the Republican National Convention.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence our nation witnessed that day. Such acts are unacceptable in our country and in our democracy,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday at the first White House press briefing since the assassination attempt on Trump.

Best of The Bee:

• In wake of Trump shooting, future Sacramento visits expected to see increased security, via Theresa Clift

• California leaders react after Trump rally shooting: ‘Clearly an assassination attempt,’ via David Lightman and Gillian Brassil

• Trump picks Vance as running mate. Here’s what history says about whether a VP matters, via David Lightman

• California GOP at convention: More energized than ever for Trump, via David Lightman

• $30,000 a month in Sacramento County? These 5 new California state jobs offer big wages, via Brianna Taylor