Mr. O'Donnell. We were leaving Dallas and going to Austin, and Governor Connally had arranged one or two receptions, and then a large dinner in the evening, a fundraising dinner, and then the President was going to depart from there to the Vice President's ranch, and stay with them through Saturday, and then come back to Washington.
Mr. Specter. And was the estimated time of arrival at the LBJ Ranch about 10 p.m., on the evening of November 22?
Mr. O'Donnell. That would be about right.
Mr. Specter. With the plan then being to depart for Washington on the 23d, Saturday?
Mr. O'Donnell. Yes.
Mr. Specter. What was the President's attitude, in a general way, about Presidential protection—that is, President Kennedy's attitude about Presidential protection, Mr. O'Donnell?
Mr. O'Donnell. Well, his general attitude was that the Secret Service—that there was no protection available to a President of a democracy such as the United States from a demented person who was willing to risk his own life; that if someone wanted to kill a President of the United States, who in a sense wears two hats—he is the leader of a political party as well as our Chief Executive—and by the nature of our system must mingle with crowds, must ride through our cities, and must expose himself to the American people—that the Secret Service would not be, other than the protection that they provide by the screening processes prior to the actual carrying out of a political trip—would not be able to guarantee 100 percent protection, considering one has to mingle with crowds of 50,000 or 100,000 people, and mingle with them at handshaking distance.
Mr. Specter. Had you ever discussed the dangers inherent in a motorcade, for example, with the President?
Mr. O'Donnell. Not specifically in a motorcade. I don't think the President's view was—very frankly, we had discussed this general subject. We used to go on trips, and sit around in the evening and this would come up.
Mr. Specter. What was the President's view expressed during those conversations?