THE PLOT TO KILL NIXON
THE PLOT TO KILL NIXON
______ (2005) The plot to kill Nixon, HISTORY CHANNEL, / 7-14, 11-12:30
Samuel Byck attempted to assassinate President Richard M. Nixon about 4 months before he resigned from office.
Byck often stood in front of the White House and protested various policies of the president of the United States. He was often stopped by security, but he did not have prior arrests and was non-violent. He had the 1st amendment privileges to disagree with the highest authority in the land.
After he returned home from his various protests, he recorded his thoughts. As time went on, he decided that he could no longer tolerate the president and that he needed to be killed.
He built a home made bomb that was placed in a business attaché case. He also carried a gun. When he arrived in Baltimore, Virginia, he tried to hi jack a large transport plane to Washington DC and have the plane dive into the presidential building.
To get on the plane, he shot a security guard and once on it shot one of the pilots. The plane was surrounded and other passengers had boarded. Both national and local police would not allow the plane to be flown to its destination. One local policeman gained access to the wing of the plane and saw the would be assassin. He then shot through the plane’s window pane and killed Byck.
The next day, the story was placed on page one. However, the motive of the assassin was not mentioned so that copy cat killers might not try the same thing.
We know of this only year later. What Byck did not know is the white house is bomb proof and has a bunker beneath it. Nixon could easily survive. The president went on with his daily activities.