It appears that forgiveness was on the table!
John Hinckley, the man who attempted to assassinate former President Ronald Reagan, shared that there was a plan for Reagan to meet with him at a mental institution. However, Hinckley revealed in an interview on “The Mark Joseph Show” that the meeting got canceled due to hospital officials’ decision.
Mark Joseph, the producer of the film “Reagan,” mentioned he had previously consulted the hospital director during his research for the project. When Reagan inquired about meeting Hinckley, Joseph suggested against it.
On the podcast, Hinckley reflected on this, saying, “He wanted to meet me… at the hospital, but the hospital staff said no. I wish he hadn’t done that.” This meeting, he felt, would have allowed him to express his respect and admiration for the 40th president.
“Unfortunately, St. Elizabeth’s Church stopped it,” he explained. “I think it was a good meeting. It went well. I never hated Reagan. Even that day, I did what I had to do. I liked Reagan. I liked Reagan.”
Hinckley, who was freed from a psychiatric facility in 2022, described his feelings on the podcast: “If I had met with him, it would have worked out very well. I would have had a lot of respect for him. I’ve never had any animosity towards President Reagan.”
Joseph noted that Hinckley, now 71, seemed “rational, logical and very calm” in recent discussions.
Producers of “Reagan” highlighted that Pope John Paul II had similarly visited Mehmet Ali Agca, another would-be assassin, in prison. Joseph speculated that Reagan might have been inspired by this and intended to extend the same gesture towards Hinckley.
Hinckley attempted to shoot Reagan outside the Washington Hilton on March 30, 1981, injuring the president, Press Secretary James Brady, police officer Thomas Delahunty, and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy.
While Reagan recovered, Brady was left wheelchair-bound, and Delahunty faced long-lasting nerve damage. The shooting led to the Brady bill in 1993, which implemented background checks and waiting periods for handgun purchases.
At the time of the attempt, Hinckley, then 25, was reportedly driven by a misguided desire to impress actress Jodie Foster, with whom he had an infatuation.
In 1982, he was declared not guilty by reason of insanity and spent years institutionalized. By 2016, he was living under supervision with his mother. Eventually, in June 2022, Hinckley was unconditionally released after 40 years.
President Reagan battled Alzheimer’s disease and passed away in 2004 at 93.
“Reagan,” a film recounting his life, found popularity but fell short of securing an Oscar nomination in 2025, despite a standout performance by Dennis Quaid. Interestingly, it did achieve a high audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes but was met with poor reception from critics.
Rawhide Pictures plans to re-release “Reagan” on September 25th, including an extra ten minutes not shown in the original version, coinciding with the upcoming 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
Reagan gained fame early on as “The Gipper” after portraying football player George Gipp in the classic 1940 film “Knute Rockne, All American,” famously asking his team for “just one win for the Gipper” from his hospital bed.
