"There was the real possibility that the No. 3 in the line of succession would become president. Johnson was reportedly examined and a heart attack ruled out - but not before then-House Speaker John McCormack was told that he might be the next president."
"If events at the White House Correspondents' Dinner had gone differently, a gunman who breached security at the Washington Hilton could have reached a ballroom containing an unusually dense cluster of American power."
"The Correspondents' Dinner is built for symbolism: the press, the presidency, and Washington's political elite gathered in a single room, putting their differences aside in celebration of the First Amendment."
"The failed attack highlighted the typically unspoken peril of such a gathering, with so many figures in the line of succession crammed into a ballroom packed so tightly with tables, chairs, and people that it was hard to move around - much less duck."
After JFK's assassination, fears arose that Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson had a heart attack, raising concerns about the presidential line of succession. Johnson was examined, and a heart attack was ruled out, but the situation underscored the vulnerabilities in succession protocols. A recent incident at the White House Correspondents' Dinner illustrated these risks, as a gunman breached security, potentially threatening many key figures in the line of succession gathered in one location. The event highlighted the dangers of having so many leaders in close proximity during public gatherings.
#presidential-succession #security-breach #historical-events #political-gatherings #lyndon-b-johnson
Read at The Atlantic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]