The video above is from an exclusive March interview with John Hinckley Jr.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — John Hinckley Jr., the man who attempted the assassination of former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, has responded to messages on social media calling for him to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump.
Hinckley shot down the comments on Thursday posting on X, “I’m a man of peace now! Please stop with all the negative comments!”
While some replies were supportive, many still persisted. One read, for instance: “Just one last job, John.”
The dark jokes are especially troublesome given that Trump has twice now been the target of his own attempted assassinations. One at a Pennsylvania rally in July and another at his golf club in West Palm Beach in September.
Hinckley has been public on X in speaking out against violence and twice condemned violence against Trump.
After serving his time in 34 years jail for the 1981 assassination attempt and attending therapy, Hinckley turned to music and has lived peacefully in Williamsburg.
An Only On 10 coverage of him back in March talks about his journey with moving forward.
In July, Hinckley took to the social media platform after Trump’s first assassination attempt with a plea for peace.
The social media post from July reads: “Violence is not the way to go. Give peace a chance.”
With increasing division in the country, political leaders including President Joe Biden, have recently come out with statements of unity.
“You can’t only love your country when you win,” Biden said, in his address to the country on Thursday. “You can’t love your neighbor only when you agree.”
A message the country can hope to strive for in these next stages.