Never Trust the Secret Service since Elite Bodyguards have a History of Assassinating Heads of State?

I have reported how President Richard Nixon had threatened the head of the CIA, saying: “I know who killed JFK.” When he was driven out of office, Nixon refused the protection of the Secret Service. This recent attempted assassination was according to their proven playbook. Use a claimed lone shoot, kill him to make sure there is never a trial, and the problem is eliminated. I have often said that history is merely a map to the future, for human nature never changes.

There were assassinations and attempted assassinations of Roman emperors by rivals and sometimes bureaucrats who were trying to weasel in to grab power, like the story of Sejanus, who had the emperor’s son poisoned by his wife so he could marry her and then take out Tiberius to take the throne. His plot was discovered and terminated with him. There was also the equivalent of the Secret Service in Roman times – the Praetorian Guard, and they were not always trustworthy.

During the Republican period, the equivalent of the Praetorian Guard were generally just bodyguards for elite politicians. It was not until 27 BC that the Senate bestowed the title “Augustus” upon him, and he became the first emperor of Rome. From then on, the Praetorian Guard was established, and they became the emperor’s personal security escort—the ancient version of the Secret Service.

Nixon refused the protection of the Secret Service because he was also a student of history. John O’Hurley is coming out this August with a documentary on Watergate, which he hopes will rehabilitate Nixon’s legacy. I met Nixon on the beach on Long Beach Island years ago after he left the White House. I don’t recall the conversation, but I did get the sense he knew his history. I also recall he did not seem to have Secret Service at the time.

What the Deep State did to Nixon was to discredit him and his legacy to cover up the dark side of their anti-Democratic thirst for power. This, Nixon’s history, is problematic, for it certainly distorts their accomplishments and his fight against the left and the rising trend of communism, where he honed the style of red-baiting, where he would denounce an opponent as an anarchist, communist, Marxist, socialist, or Stalinist. His famous 1959 Kitchen Debate with Khrushchev established his belief in freedom and capitalism.

There is undoubtedly precedent for fearing the Secret Service. Historically, 13 Roman Emperors were assassinated by their Praetorian Guard – the very elite group who were to guard the emperor. There was roughly a 20.5-year interval on average between these assassinations. It is three such intervals since Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963 – 61 years to 2024, before interestingly the next target was Trump.

Killed by the Praetorian Guard

Caligula (17-41AD)

Galba (68-69AD)

Commodus (177-192AD)

Pertinax (193AD)

Caracalla (198-217AD)

Elagabalus (218-222AD)

Balbinus (238AD)
Pupienus (238AD)

Gordian III (238-244AD)

Philip II (244-249AD)

Aurelian (270-275AD)

Probus (276-282AD)

Numerian (283-284AD)