The Attempt to Assassinate President Truman at Blair House
On November 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to reach President Harry Truman at Blair House in Washington.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
On November 1, 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to reach President Harry Truman at Blair House in Washington. Truman was living there while the White House underwent renovation.
The Wider Story
White House police resisted the attack. Officer Leslie Coffelt was fatally wounded, and one attacker also died; the surviving attacker was prosecuted.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The event belongs to the history of political violence and presidential protection.
Reading the Historical Record
Explaining the assailants' political cause does not require endorsing their actions or recreating the shooting for spectacle.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: the exterior of Blair House in 1950 followed by an anonymous archival research desk, no attack. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
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