Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA) recently introduced the Zero Tolerance for Political Assassins Act, a bill mandating 25 years to life imprisonment for individuals who attempt to assassinate federal politicians.
Rep. Carter pointed to the third assassination attempt on President Trump as his point of reference.
According to the Georgia lawmaker, political assassins are the greatest threats to democracy as they ignore the will of the American people to enforce their own worldviews with violence. This demands severe punishment.
“The American people spoke in November 2024, electing Donald J. Trump with a mandate to deliver a safer and more prosperous nation,” stated Rep. Carter. “Yet recently, at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the President was the target of a third assassination attempt.”
He continued, “The cowards who carry out acts of political violence are the greatest threats to democracy. My bill ensures they face proper justice and the full weight of the law.”
The Bill
President Trump has survived three assassination attempts to date. Supporters of the president argue that "extreme leftist rhetoric" from political figures like former President Joe Biden and former FBI Director James Comey have inspired the attempts.
The bill’s primary purpose is to amend Title 18 of the United States Code to remove certain language and establish specific sentencing requirements.
The Zero Tolerance for Political Assassins Act would apply to the following targets: the President, Vice President, Presidential Staff, Cabinet Members, Supreme Court Justices, and Members of Congress.
Any person convicted of attempting to kill the officials listed above would face a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. The court then retains the ability to sentence the offender to life imprisonment.
The bill then amends certain code provisions to separate ‘attempted killing’ from ‘attempted kidnapping’ to ensure that the mandatory minimum applies to the intent to kill.
The American people spoke in November 2024, electing Donald J. Trump with a mandate to deliver a safer and more prosperous nation. Yet recently, @POTUS was the target of a third assassination attempt.
The cowards who carry out acts of political violence are the greatest threats…
— Buddy Carter (@RepBuddyCarter) May 7, 2026
