Ronald Reagan Quips ‘Missed Me’ in West Berlin Speech When a Popped Balloon Sounds Like Gunfire

During a 1987 speech at Tempelhof U.S. Air Base in West Berlin, Germany, President Ronald Reagan heard the sound of a popping balloon that sounded like gunfire and without missing a beat, he cleverly quipped “Missed Me”. President Reagan was there to help celebrate the city’s 750th anniversary, for which thousands of balloons were inflated. The remark was particularly ironic as the President was making a veiled reference to the very real attempt on his life in 1981.