In a twist of history that feels almost cinematic, Sara Jane Moore, the woman who took a shot at President Gerald Ford in 1975, has died at the ripe age of 95.
The BBC reported that her passing, reported by U.S. media, comes just after the 50th anniversary of her failed assassination attempt and amid fresh concerns over presidential security following recent threats against President Donald Trump.
Let’s rewind to the turbulent 1970s, a time when America was wrestling with the Vietnam War and social unrest that could make today’s culture wars look tame.
Moore, a California mother of four, emerged from that era’s chaos with a radicalized mindset, believing, as she later admitted, that only violent revolution could change the country. On September 22, 1975, she acted on that belief, firing a .38-caliber revolver at Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, a weapon she’d bought just hours before.
Thankfully, Ford escaped unharmed, largely due to a quick-thinking former U.S. Marine in the crowd of 3,000 who subdued Moore before she could fire a second shot.
What’s chilling is that Moore had been on the radar just the day before, arrested when security spotted her with a gun in a crowd waiting for Ford—yet, after confiscating that firearm, she simply went out and bought another.
Turns out, actions have consequences, and Moore’s brazen attempt landed her a life sentence after she pleaded guilty to the crime. She served 32 years before being released on parole, living out her final years in relative obscurity until her recent passing.
Moore’s attack wasn’t an isolated incident; just 17 days earlier, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson, had also targeted Ford in a failed assassination attempt.
In a 2009 interview with NBC News, Moore reflected on her motives, saying, “It was a time that people don’t remember.”
She added, “The only way it was going to change was a violent revolution.” Well, if revolution was the goal, shooting at a president seems a poor way to win hearts and minds—her actions only hardened the resolve to protect our leaders.
Investigators at the time found no ties between Moore and any organized revolutionary groups, and she was deemed legally sane, which makes her calculated act all the more unsettling.
Her death arrives as we’re reminded of the ever-present dangers facing our presidents, with two recent attempts on Donald Trump’s life, including the conviction of Ryan Routh for an incident on a Florida golf course, who now faces sentencing with a potential life term.
Presidential security isn’t just a relic of the past—it’s a pressing concern, and Moore’s story is a stark reminder that even misguided idealism can pull a trigger. Let’s hope today’s leaders, regardless of party, get the protection they need without sacrificing the freedoms we hold dear.
