Exclusive | Would-be Ronald Reagan assassin reveals the Gipper planned to visit him in mental hospital: Please dont do that

The Gipper was a forgiver!Former President Ronald Reagan planned to visit his would-be assassin John Hinckley in a mental hospital, according to the gunman and the producer of a biopic on the Republican icon.But the forgiveness meeting at St, Elizabeth Hospital was not to be because officials there nixed the idea, Hinckley told producer Mark Joseph during an interview on his “Mark Joseph Show” podcast.Joseph, as part of his research for the “Reagan” film, said he previously spoke to the head of St.Elizabeth’s, who told him he advised Reagan, “please don’t do that” when the president asked about seeing Hinckley.The filmmaker asked Hinckley if that was true during the podcast.“I heard that he wanted to meet me… have a meeting with me at the hospital, but the staff at the hospital turned it down, which I wish they hadn’t done,” Hinckley said.He added that he would have welcomed the opportunity to ask the 40th president’s forgiveness and express the respect and admiration he always held for him.“Unfortunately, St.

Elizabeth’s blocked it,” the would-be assassin said.“I think it would have been a good meeting.

It would have gone well.I never disliked Reagan.

Even on the day I did what I did.I liked him.“If I had a meeting with him, I’m sure it would have gone very well.

I would have been very respectful of him,” Hinckley, who was released from a mental hospital in 2022, said on the podcast.“I never had any animus at all towards President Reagan.”Joseph said Hinckley, now 71, seemed “rational, logical and very subdued” during the recent interview.The “Reagan” producer noted that Pope John Paul II visited Mehmet Ali Agca in prison after he survived an attempted assassination at the hands of the Turkish terrorist.Joseph theorized that Reagan was moved by the gesture and “wanted to do the same thing with Hinckley.”Hinckley attacked Reagan outside the Washington, DC Hilton on March 30, 1981, when he opened fire with ...