Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinckley Jr. on Trump Assassination Attempts, Jodie Foster Obsession, and His Life Now | Ep. 1343

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Megyn Kelly** (1:01)
Today on The Megyn Kelly Show.

**John Hinckley Jr.** (1:03)
There's been such a negative image of me for like 45 years. Megyn, I'm just a totally different person from the person I was in 1981

**SPEAKER_5** (1:13)
Mr. President.

**SPEAKER_6** (1:15)
Shots were fired at President Reagan as he was coming out of the Washington Hilton Hotel this afternoon.

**SPEAKER_7** (1:20)
Tales are very sketchy at this moment.

**SPEAKER_8** (1:24)
He was wounded.

**SPEAKER_6** (1:26)
The man in custody, John W.

**John Hinckley Jr.** (1:28)
Hinckley Jr. I just had a really dark heart.

**SPEAKER_6** (1:31)
An obsessive infatuation for a young actress.

**John Hinckley Jr.** (1:34)
I thought I had a real relationship with Jodie.

**SPEAKER_9** (1:37)
Get me out of here, all right?

**John Hinckley Jr.** (1:38)
The obsession really started after I saw Taxi Driver. De Niro was trying to impress this woman.

**SPEAKER_10** (1:44)
Are you talking to me?

**John Hinckley Jr.** (1:45)
I thought I was shooting the president of Jodie. He would be so impressed. I liked Reagan.
I thought he was a nice guy.

**Megyn Kelly** (1:52)
The polls show that some 19% of, in particular, young people on the left think it's appropriate. Did you ever think you'd live to see the day? How does that kid wind up shooting the president? Did you feel like a celebrity? Why was Ted Bundy writing the orders? Jodie Foster, does she have anything to worry about now?

**SPEAKER_5** (2:08)
You forgive John Hinckley?

**Megyn Kelly** (2:10)
Yes. Did you ever have the chance to apologize to any of the four men?

**John Hinckley Jr.** (2:14)
I actually still have people who go online and they say, John, we need you again. You've got to do it again.

**Megyn Kelly** (2:23)
Hey, everyone, I'm Megyn Kelly. Welcome to The Megyn Kelly Show. Today we are joined by a man whose name most Americans know, John Hinckley Jr. He was only 25 years old on March 30th in 1981 when he attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Ronald Reagan.

**SPEAKER_7** (2:41)
As the president's limousine zoomed off, police pinned a suspect against the stone wall of the hotel.

**SPEAKER_10** (2:47)
Authorities say John Hinckley attempted to kill President Reagan in order to get the attention of actress Jodie Foster. Both federal and local authorities say the letter allegedly written by Hinckley also contained a sentence reading, I will probably die for what I am about to do.

**Megyn Kelly** (3:03)
Following a widely publicized trial, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

**SPEAKER_6** (3:09)
However long he stays in custody, he is to be hospitalized.

**SPEAKER_13** (3:12)
He will be quickly committed as a patient at St. Elizabeth's Federal Mental Hospital in Washington.

**SPEAKER_14** (3:17)
I think it's a real unlikely situation that he would be out on the loose in any reasonable period of time.

**Megyn Kelly** (3:24)
He spent over 34 years in psychiatric confinement until 2016, when he was given a conditional release and a full release later in 2022

**John Hinckley Jr.** (3:36)
Hello everybody, this is another one of my original songs.

**Megyn Kelly** (3:40)
He now lives in the Williamsburg, Virginia area where he spends time on his music and his art.
Hinckley recently spoke out after the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this spring, which took place at the hotel dubbed by many, the Hinckley Hilton. Joining me now, John Hinckley Jr., musician, author of the memoir John Hinckley Jr., Who I Really Am, and attempted assassin of President Reagan.
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