A social media post about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump has resulted in the departure of a staffer working for Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson. The individual is no longer in their position due to the controversial post.
During a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th, a gunman fired shots at Donald Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee for 2024. Trump was on stage at the time and narrowly avoided serious injury as the bullet grazed his right ear.
According to Fox News, Thompson released a statement saying that he was informed of a post made by one of his employees and that the said employee is no longer working for him.
The Mississippi representative chose not to disclose the identity of the staff member or divulge any information regarding the social media post. Nevertheless, screenshots of a post made by Jacqueline Marsaw, who previously served as a case worker and field director for Thompson, have been circulating on the internet.
In a recent Facebook post, the statement “I don’t condone violence” was followed by a suggestion to “get some shooting lessons” to avoid missing the target, with the caveat “oops that wasn’t me talking.”
According to The Natchez Democrat, Marsaw mentioned that she took down the post when a manager requested her to do so. She admitted feeling overwhelmed at that moment and stated that she is a dedicated Democrat.
According to her, the intention behind the post was to entertain people with humor rather than to convey any serious message.
Online backlash ensued after Marsaw’s post, drawing criticism from Representative Matt Gaetz and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Gaetz and Gingrich both reacted to Marsaw’s post, which was deemed “horrifying” by Gaetz, on X, previously known as Twitter. Gingrich called for Marsaw to be let go from her position.
“Today, she ought to be fired. The resolution to terminate secret service protection for President Trump was brought forward by Thompson. With staff members like this, the venom runs deep,” expressed Gingrich.
Thompson proposed a bill in April that seeks to strip Secret Service protection from individuals who have been convicted of a felony and are serving a prison sentence. The legislation directly mentions former President Trump, stating that if he is convicted in any of his ongoing criminal trials, he would lose his Secret Service protection.
Following the shooting on Saturday, Thompson received criticism for the legislation.
Thompson’s office was contacted by Newsweek through a website form outside of regular working hours.
Thompson took to X to express his condemnation of political violence after the shooting incident.
He wrote that political violence has no place in American democracy and expressed gratitude for the swift response of law enforcement to the incident. He further stated that he was relieved to hear that the former President was safe and extended his thoughts and prayers to all those involved.
In a video captured at the time, it is evident that Secret Service agents acted swiftly by encircling Trump and escorting him offstage.
According to the FBI, the perpetrator who was killed by the Secret Service at the site has been identified as Thomas Crooks, a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
During the incident, Corey Comperatore, a former firefighter aged 50 and attendee of the rally, lost his life.
