In the first half, author John Koerner joined guest host Richard Syrett (Twitter) to discuss the untold history surrounding the assassinations of four US presidents—Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy.
Koerner highlighted lesser-known details about Lincoln's assassination, noting that John Wilkes Booth carried two Derringers, though only one is officially documented. Booth may have deliberately bought the weapon from a Philadelphia dealer named Abraham on Lincoln's birthday. He suggested Booth had ties to the Confederate Secret Service in Canada, possibly with British involvement, and questioned why this link isn't widely discussed. Koerner also examined security lapses, particularly Lincoln's guard's failure, and theories about Edwin Stanton aiding Booth's escape. Rumors persist that Booth survived rather than dying in a Virginia barn, he noted. Koerner speculated that Lincoln's second term could have advanced civil rights, potentially preventing the rise of the Ku Klux Klan.
He argued that Garfield's assassination, though often overlooked, was pivotal in American history. A Civil War veteran, Garfield aimed to advance civil rights and reform corruption. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, used a British Bulldog revolver, but four of five bullets were defective. The weapon later vanished, fueling cover-up theories, Koerner revealed. Guiteau may have been manipulated by political forces, as Garfield's aides received a warning three days prior. Koerner suggested that figures like Senator Roscoe Conkling, who opposed Garfield's reforms, may have benefited from his death. Garfield's survival could have reshaped American democracy by revitalizing Reconstruction and dismantling corrupt political machines.
Koerner drew parallels between McKinley's assassination and those of Garfield and JFK, noting all three could have survived without a second shot. McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz, who had mysteriously acquired large sums of money before the attack. Suspicious elements include a man known only as "the Italian" distracting security and the disappearance of key photographic evidence and the murder weapon, he explained. Koerner pointed out that McKinley's pro-business stance made him a target, as his successor, Theodore Roosevelt, aggressively pursued trust-busting and foreign policy changes, hinting that McKinley's death may have shifted America's direction.
Regarding JFK's assassination, Koerner questioned the official narrative, particularly the rifle used. Initial reports identified a German Mauser, later changed to an Italian Mannlicher-Carcano, which was adjusted for a left-handed shooter, though Lee Harvey Oswald was right-handed. The timeline of Oswald's actions is also disputed, as he was inside a theater when Officer J.D. Tippit was killed. A paraffin test found no gunpowder on Oswald's cheek, suggesting he hadn't fired a rifle. Koerner linked Kennedy's death to conflicts with financial and oil interests, comparing it to Lincoln and Jackson's opposition to centralized banking, implying JFK was targeted for political and economic reasons rather than by a lone gunman.