# Jeffersonian History question and (low level) "Swordfish" spoiler

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeffersonian-history-question-and-low-level-swordfish-spoiler/83786>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 25, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeffersonian-history-question-and-low-level-swordfish-spoiler/83786 "2001-09-25T21:05:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeffersonian-history-question-and-low-level-swordfish-spoiler/83786/1 "2001-09-25T21:05:38Z")

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I watched “Swordfish” again this weekend, and I remembered that it raised a question for me the first time I saw it, but I got distracted and never posted it.  
SPOILER SPACE

When Gabriel shoots the senator, he says, “Thomas Jefferson once shot a man on the White House lawn for treason.”

Now, I thought I’d heard most of the interesting stories about old TJ (a hero of mine for most of my life), but I somehow missed this one. Anybody care to verify/tank this and maybe provide a little background if it’s true?

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeffersonian-history-question-and-low-level-swordfish-spoiler/83786/2 "2001-09-26T02:43:22Z")

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It’s false.

Andy Jackson was in several duels, and while president he thoroughly thrashed a would-be assassin to whose gun had misfired with his cane. Thomas Jefferson did not shoot anyone on the white house lawn (or anywhere else that I am aware).

The story shows up in **GQ** about once a month, or so, it seems, I’m not sure why. For more information on the stories, do a search in **General Questions**

This link, [Did Jefferson shoot a traitor on the White House lawn?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=85204) also denies it and has a further link going back earlier.

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**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jeffersonian-history-question-and-low-level-swordfish-spoiler/83786/3 "2001-09-26T16:15:37Z")

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Thanks, **tomndebb**. I would have imagined coming across that story in one of the bios if it had been true.

I was familiar with the Jackson information. He was definitely not a man to be triffled with, at least not on personal terms.

I had run a GQ search before posting. Can’t see how I missed it. Thanks again for the refutation and the links. I appreciate it.