“I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”
-Theodore Roosevelt, first words in a campaign speech minutes after being shot, 1912
A 19-year-old Theodore Roosevelt during his freshman year at Harvard, 1877
American Bad Ass
The Dos Equis guy has nothing on one of our toughest American’s ever, President and all around bad ass… Theodore Roosevelt…
There are so many stories about Roosevelt that are just so amazing that they sound a tale of legend or myth, but make no mistakes, Theodore Roosevelt was a bad ass.
Early on when he was just getting into Politics Roosevelt took a trip to his frontier hideaway in Mingasville, ND to clear his head.
As he was sitting enjoying his drink at a local bar, a drunk and pissed off cowboy pulled out his gun and took a couple shots at Roosevelt. Standing the gunman then points his gun at Roosevelt’s head…
His reaction? Roosevelt laugh’s…
Choosing to take control of the situation, Roosevelt charges the gunman knocking the gun away. Roosevelt continues to bash the guy’s head against the bar until he is unconscious. Not enough, and with the whole bar watching, Roosevelt drags the guy through the bar and outside to a shed and locks the unconscious would be assassin in for the night… Damn…
I can only imagine the cheer’s and drinks that followed!
Teddy Roosevelt harpooning devilfish 1917
But our quote today comes from one of his most bad ass moments…
It was October 14, 1912 on the campaign trail in Milwaukee. As he got into his car outside the Gilpatrick Hotel for a ride to his speech at a campaign rally he pauses for the small crowd. He stands in the convertible to wave at all the onlookers when from 5 feet away a gunman pulls out his .38 and shoots Roosevelt point blank in the chest…
Instantly the scene erupts with chaos all around the car. According to one eyewitness at the scene “one man was “the coolest and least excited of anyone in the frenzied mob”: Roosevelt”…
Theodore Roosevelt’s X-ray after being shot
What does Roosevelt do after being shot? He coughs in his hand 3 times, after not seeing blood he decides the bullet had not punctured his lungs and against his doctors pleas for the hospital he commands the driver “You get me to that speech.”…
The motorcade continued to the campaign rally where he walked on stage, minutes after being shot in the chest point blank, and gives a 90 minute defiant speech…
“I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot; not a rap,”
Theodore Roosevelt, quote from speech minutes after being shot, 1912
New York Times, October 15, 1912 front page
Theodore Roosevelt 1904