Mississippi Congresswoman’s Aide Faces Backlash for Supporting Assassination of Former President TrumpMississippi Congresswoman’s Aide Faces Backlash for Supporting Assassination of Former President Trump On Saturday, a Facebook post from Jacqueline Marsaw, an aide to Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, drew ire from Republicans after it appeared to support an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The post, which has since been deleted, read: “I don’t condone violence, but make sure you get some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time. Oops, I didn’t say that.” The post sparked outrage from the Mississippi GOP, who demanded that Marsaw be removed from Thompson’s payroll. The Republican Party condemned the post as an endorsement of violence and called for Thompson to take action. Despite Marsaw’s previous statement, Thompson expressed shock and condemned the attack on Trump. He stated that there was no place for political violence in American democracy and offered his thoughts and prayers to those involved. Thompson’s spokesperson did not respond to inquiries about whether Marsaw was responsible for the post or if there would be any consequences. The incident highlights the rising tensions and polarization in American politics, with violence and threats becoming increasingly commonplace. It remains to be seen how this latest controversy will affect Thompson and his staff moving forward.
Message deleted later
A Facebook post Saturday linked to an aide to Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson appeared to support an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
The post has since been deleted, but it has angered Republicans in Mississippi.
On Saturday, as Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, multiple shots rang out through the crowd, one wounding the former president in the ear, one killing a crowd member and two others seriously wounding them.
After the attack, Jacqueline Marsaw, Thompson’s case manager and field director, posted the following message on the Facebook page:
“I don’t condone violence, but make sure you get some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time. Oops, I didn’t say that,” the message reads.
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About an hour later, the post was taken down. Whether Marsaw posted it herself or someone accessed her account to do so, it didn’t stop a flood of backlash from other Facebook users and even the Mississippi GOP.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the Mississippi Republican Party demanded that she be taken off Thompson’s payroll.
“Bennie Thompson should fire his field director for approving the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump,” the message reads.
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After the attack, USA Today reported that Trump was injured, but not seriously, and that one gunman was dead. It was the first shooting of a U.S. presidential candidate since Ronald Raegan in 1981.
Despite Marsaw’s seemingly harsh words, Thompson told X after the attempted murder that he was shocked by the attack.
“There is no room in American democracy for political violence,” he wrote. “I am grateful for the swift response by law enforcement to this incident. I am glad the former President is safe, and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.”
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Thompson’s spokesperson and communications director Yasmine Brown did not respond to requests for comment on whether Marsaw was the one who posted her statement on her Facebook page, whether anyone had inquired about her account and whether there would be any consequences.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at [email protected] or 972-571-2335.
