They say politics is the last refuge for a scoundrel — and now, apparently, people who have attempted to assassinate a president.
John Hinckley Jr., who shot then-President Ronald Reagan in 1981, announced Wednesday that he is starting a new political group: the National Redemption Party, or NRP.
The 67-year-old said in a tweet that the NRP is “for peace, love, racial equality, LGBTQ Rights, Abortion Rights, the Green New Deal,” but opposes “the Mob that controls the music industry.”
The bit about the music industry may be the real reason why Hinckley is forming the new party.
Although he has attempted to make a living as a singer-songwriter for the past 18 months and was freed in June from court oversight imposed after the 1981 attack, getting his career off the ground has been a struggle.
For instance, a concert scheduled for July 8 in Brooklyn, New York, was canceled due to backlash.
Some of Hinckley’s 52,000 Twitter followers expressed support for his new endeavor. But many were skeptical, for obvious reasons.
A few raised concerns about a weird symbol shown behind Hinckley in a photo accompanying his announcement.
Others felt obligated to make subtle puns referencing his past.
One person wondered who else might be supporting the party.
Hinckley wounded Reagan after he opened fire on the president outside a Washington hotel, while also partially paralyzing then-press secretary James Brady and injuring two other men.
He was found not guilty due to insanity and spent most of his confinement in a Washington mental hospital.
You can hear his latest song below.