Man Who Tried To Kill Reagan Claims He's a Victim of 'Cancel Culture'

This is how far we've fallen, America.

Make that: "This is how far the American left has fallen," while the rest of us shake our heads in disgust.

John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981, claims he's a victim of "cancel culture," after the now 68-year-old has tried to become a singer since gaining his freedom in 2022 but has had multiple planned concerts canceled by venues because of the expected controversy that would surely follow.

Hinckley, then 25, wounded Reagan, along with his press secretary James Brady, Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy, and police officer Thomas Delahanty. Brady, the most seriously injured, lived the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair, finally succumbing to his injuries in 2014. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Yet, Hinckley claimed in a recent interview with the New York Post:

I think that’s fair to say: I’m a victim of cancel culture. It keeps happening over and over again.

Only in today's America can a would-be assassin of a sitting president, who nearly succeeded, have the cojones to claim he's a victim — and have others (on the left) agree with him.

John Hinckley Jr. claims he is a victim of ‘cancel culture’ after concert called off https://t.co/XYbvsOs4Y2 pic.twitter.com/3eEuNASyLb
— New York Post (@nypost) March 20, 2024

Hinckley posted on Instagram:

You Guessed It: Postponed Until Further Notice (They’re killin [sic] us here).

"They're killin' us here." I know it's a trite saying, but you can't make it up.

Hinckley whined to The Post:

It keeps happening over and over again. They book me and then the show gets announced, and then the venue starts getting backlash. The owners always cave — they cancel. It’s happened so many times, it’s kinda what I expect. I don’t really get upset.

Astonishing. Then Hinckley played the "cancel culture" card:

I’m just caught up in the cancel culture, I guess. It would be a venue for new artists, distinguished artists and they wouldn’t get canceled [at] the last minute like I’m getting canceled.

If you google "complete lack of self-awareness," Hinckley's quote should be there, along with his picture.

Look, I haven't heard Hinckley's music, and I have no intention of doing so, but I'm gonna go out on a safe limb and bet we're not talking quality entertainment here. My only question is why in the hell the owners or managers of a venue would book an attempted assassin of a president of the United States in the first place?

I mean I'm all for rehabilitation, but please.

One venue told The Post the obvious:

It is not worth a gamble on the safety of our vulnerable communities to give a guy a microphone and a paycheck from his art who hasn’t had to earn it, who we don’t care about on an artistic level.

Bingo.

Hinckley was found "not guilty" by reason of insanity and spent nearly 30 years in a mental hospital. He was released under supervision in 2016, and completely, in late 2021.

Clearly insane (at least at the time), Hinckley said he was inspired to kill Reagan after watching “Taxi Driver” and developing an obsession with actress Jodie Foster, whom he hoped to impress with the shooting. Here's how he justified forgetting about the entire episode, refusing to talk about the assassination attempt:

I’m just not the person I used to be. I have a different mindset than I did long, long ago. I don’t want to dwell on the past. Let’s stay in the present.

Of course, Hinckley wants to "stay in the present."

The Bottom Line

Sorry, no. Some actions have life-long consequences. While Reagan fully recovered, James Brady fought through brain damage and impaired speech for the remainder of his permanently disabled life.

Yet, here we have the would-be assassin whining because venues continue to cancel his probably-crappy concerts, which wouldn't have been scheduled in the first place if he hadn't tried to kill the president of the United States.

I'm out.

Would-Be Reagan Assassin John Hinckley Jr, Now Free, Apologizes After 41 Years