On the afternoon of November 1, 1950, President Harry S. Truman narrowly escaped one of the most dramatic assassination attempts in American history. Two Puerto Rican nationalists attempted to storm Blair House, where Truman was temporarily residing during White House renovations. The gunfight that ensued left one assailant and one police officer dead, and underscored the growing tension between colonial governance and nationalist movements in the postwar world.
Political and Social Context
In 1950, the United States was navigating the early years of the Cold War. President Truman, having overseen the end of World War II, the use of the atomic bomb, and the start of the Korean War, was both a symbol of global American power and a polarizing figure domestically. Amid growing concerns about communism abroad and civil unrest at home, a lesser-known but potent conflict simmered in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico had been under American control since 1898. By the mid-20th century, calls for Puerto Rican independence were growing louder. Though the island was granted limited self-governance in 1947, radical groups such as the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, led by Pedro Albizu Campos, demanded full independence from U.S. colonial rule. In October 1950, a nationalist uprising erupted on the island, prompting the U.S. to declare martial law and dispatch thousands of troops to suppress the rebellion.
The Plot
Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, both affiliated with the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, saw violence as a means to draw international attention to Puerto Rico’s independence movement. Angered by the crushing of the October revolt and inspired by martyrdom, the two men planned to assassinate Truman and, in doing so, ignite a broader uprising or at least secure global awareness of their cause.
Though neither man expected to survive, they believed their actions would galvanize political momentum. Torresola, who had military experience and was considered the better marksman, trained Collazo in firearms. The two traveled from New York to Washington, D.C., prepared to sacrifice their lives.
Timeline
November 1, 1950, ~2:00 p.m.: Collazo and Torresola arrive at Blair House, located across the street from the White House.
Seconds later: Torresola approaches from the west side and fatally shoots White House Police Officer Leslie Coffelt at point-blank range. Collazo, approaching from the east, opens fire but is quickly wounded by another officer.
Within minutes: Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Coffelt returns fire and kills Torresola.
Truman: Awakened from his nap by the gunfire, Truman briefly appears at a second-story window before being ushered away by Secret Service agents.
The Assassination Attempt
The attack unfolded in broad daylight in the heart of Washington, D.C. Torresola and Collazo approached Blair House from opposite sides, intending to surprise the guards and reach Truman. Torresola, armed with a German Luger pistol, shot Officer Coffelt in the chest as he stood post at the west entrance. Collazo, less experienced and using a Walther P38, tried to storm the east entrance but was quickly shot by White House guards.
Despite being shot three times, Officer Coffelt managed to return fire from a seated position, fatally wounding Torresola with a single shot to the head. Truman, just upstairs, was never in direct danger but heard the shots and briefly looked out before being pulled away. The entire incident lasted less than 40 seconds.
Immediate Aftermath
The attempted assassination shocked the nation. Though Truman was unharmed, the attack demonstrated the vulnerabilities in presidential security—especially as the president was not in the heavily fortified White House. Officer Leslie Coffelt was hailed as a hero and became the only Secret Service member to die protecting a president. His lethal response, despite mortal wounds, prevented what could have become a far more tragic incident.
Truman expressed sorrow for the deaths but showed no animosity toward Puerto Rico. Just two years later, Puerto Ricans would be permitted to elect their own governor for the first time.
Investigation and Arrests
Oscar Collazo was apprehended on the scene, bleeding from a gunshot wound. He was hospitalized under guard and later charged with murder and attempted assassination. The investigation revealed that the pair had not acted under direct orders but were ideologically aligned with the militant wing of the Puerto Rican independence movement. They had planned the attack independently, hoping to make a symbolic gesture.
No broader conspiracy was uncovered, though the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party celebrated their martyrdom. The U.S. government intensified surveillance of pro-independence groups thereafter.
Trial and Legal Proceedings
Collazo was tried in federal court and found guilty. He was sentenced to death in 1952. However, in a notable act of clemency, President Truman commuted his sentence to life in prison, acknowledging the political motivations behind the act rather than personal animus.
Decades later, President Jimmy Carter commuted Collazo’s sentence again in 1979, leading to his release after nearly 29 years of incarceration. He returned to Puerto Rico, where he was received as a political hero by independence advocates.
Punishments and Legacy of the Conspirators
Griselio Torresola died at the scene, leaving behind a legacy of radical resistance. Oscar Collazo lived until 1994, becoming a living symbol of the independence movement’s militant past. To supporters, he represented sacrifice and defiance against colonial rule. To most Americans, the assassination attempt was a sobering reminder of how global anti-colonial struggles could manifest in violence on U.S. soil.
The event hardened attitudes toward militant independence activism and helped shape federal approaches to territorial governance. Yet it also opened space for reforms. Truman’s administration moved forward with granting Puerto Rico more autonomy, including the establishment of the island’s own constitution in 1952.
Long-Term Impact on the Nation
The Truman assassination attempt had lasting effects on presidential security. The Secret Service reassessed its protocols, particularly concerning temporary presidential residences. Blair House, once seen as a comfortable and low-risk location, received significant fortification afterward.
Politically, the attack accelerated the dialogue around Puerto Rico’s status. Though the Nationalist Party was marginalized, moderate voices advocating for “Free Associated State” status (Estado Libre Asociado) gained traction, leading to the island’s commonwealth designation in 1952.
The event remains one of the most brazen attacks on a sitting American president and a rare instance of anti-colonial violence striking at the heart of Washington, D.C.
Controversies and Conspiracy Theories
Unlike other presidential assassination attempts, this incident yielded relatively few conspiracy theories. The motivations of the attackers were well-documented and explicitly political. Some critics have argued that the U.S. government’s portrayal of the attack downplayed the legitimate grievances of Puerto Rican nationalists, casting the event purely as terrorism rather than a symptom of colonial unrest.
Nonetheless, the transparency of the investigation and Collazo’s own statements have largely quelled speculative narratives. The most enduring debate centers not around the attack itself, but around Puerto Rico’s unresolved political status.
Primary Source Appendix
- Testimony and confession of Oscar Collazo
- Secret Service and White House Police incident reports (November 1950)
- President Truman’s personal diary and public statements following the attack
- Coverage from The Washington Post, The New York Times, and El Mundo (November 1950)
- Medical examiner’s report on Griselio Torresola and Officer Leslie Coffelt
- Federal trial transcripts of U.S. v. Collazo (1951)
- Truman’s commutation order (1952) and Carter’s clemency decision (1979)