Reports indicate that Donald Trump has been the subject of multiple assassination plots involving drones and other methods. One specific plot involved a group of eight men who were accused of planning a drone and shooting attack during a UFC event at the White House in June 2026 (ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation). This group allegedly intended to use explosive-laden drones to cause a panicked evacuation toward a "kill zone" where five sniper teams would ambush "high-value targets," including Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk (Fox News, ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The plotters reportedly used a "tier" system to classify participants and were accused of amassing money, firearms, and explosives (ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Guardian).
Other reports highlight separate plots linked to Iran. Federal prosecutors stated that Iran ordered an operative to assassinate Trump before the election (Politico). Additionally, an Iraqi national, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, was arrested for allegedly discussing plans to kill Ivanka Trump in retaliation for the 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani (WJAR). Other reports indicate that Mossad intelligence pointed to an Iranian drone plot targeting Trump (The New Voice of Ukraine) and that an Iranian official suggested Trump could face a drone attack at Mar-a-Lago (Iran International). One report also noted that a "revenge plot" by the Iranian regime to kill Trump was foiled (The Times).
A separate plot involved 18-year-old Nikita Casap, who was sentenced to life in prison for killing his parents in 2025 to fund a plan to kill Trump with a bomb dropped from a drone (WHSV, The Hill). Federal authorities accused Casap of writing a manifesto calling for Trump's assassination and attempting to overthrow the U.S. government (WHSV, ABC News).
Regarding the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, reports confirm that the gunman, Thomas Crooks, flew a commercial drone over the rally site for approximately 8 to 11 minutes before the shooting (FedScoop, Fortune, CBS News, WSJ, NBC News, AP News). Investigations revealed that the Secret Service failed to detect the drone flight due to technical issues, a lack of coordination with local law enforcement, and an inexperienced operator who had not tested the counter-drone system (FedScoop, ABC7 New York, ABC News). In response, the Secret Service has since begun deploying military-grade drones and mobile command posts to improve aerial reconnaissance and communication (CBS News).
Where outlets disagree:
- Regarding the duration of the drone flight during the Butler attempt, FedScoop reports the flight lasted "more than eight minutes," while Fortune and CBS News state it lasted "11 minutes."