Historian recalls bipartisan unity after 1981 Reagan assassination attempt: 'We came together'

14 July 2024

On Sunday morning, July 14 — the day after presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh — historian Michael Beschloss discussed the history of political violence in the United States during an appearance on MSNBC.

The 68-year-old Beschloss emphasized that in the past, horrific politic violence could either unite the country or lead to more violence — and it remains to be seen what will follow the attempt on Trump's life.

"We witnessed a horrible event," Beschloss explained. "We have had moments of violence in American history. And at our best — and this is so much in our DNA as Americans — we use an event like this to come together."

Beschloss cited the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963 and an attempt on President Ronald Reagan's life in 1981 as tragic events followed by examples of Americans finding common ground despite their political disagreements.

"After John Kennedy's assassination in 1963," the historian recalled, "Lyndon Johnson went to Congress and said: Let us use this moment to put an end to the preaching of hate and evil and violence and remember that we are one people. If that happens now, we can use the event to make our country better."

MSNBC noted that Reagan was the sixth U.S. president or former U.S. president to survive an assassination attempt — others included Andrew Jackson in 1835, Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, Harry Truman in 1950, and Gerald R. Ford in 1975.

Beschloss pointed out that after the attempt on Reagan's life, Democrats were quick to express their outrage and rally about The Gipper — policy differences and all.

The Chicago native remembered, "People were so impressed with his grace and bravery. And one thing that happened that year was the two parties in Congress worked together for a lot of legislation — and at least for a brief time, there was that era of good feeling. It would be wonderful if we could have that once again."

Beschloss added that July 13, 2024 will be remembered as a dark day in U.S. history — and he hopes it won't be followed by more violence and even greater political divisions.

The historian explained, "We are going to remember this moment, looking back on this — and our children will and our descendants and others — in terms of how it changed history. At its worst in American history, violent events cause terrible cataclysms such as the Civil War. At our best, we use these moments — as horrible as they are — to just sort of collect ourselves for a minute and say, 'Where have we strayed from the ambitions of our Founders?'…. The test for all of us is how we react to this."

Beschloss continued, "If this makes everyone angrier and causes the division in the country to become greater, that follows the worst lessons in American history. If we follow the best ones, we could make this a moment that includes our country."

Watch the full video below or at this link.

Historian on how Dems rallied around Reagan after 1981 assassination attemptwww.youtube.com

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