A staffer for Democratic Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson has been fired after suggesting “shooting lessons” following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump Saturday.
Jacqueline Marshaw, a field director for Thompson, reportedly made the post soon after the attack on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
“I don’t condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don’t miss next time oops that wasn’t me saying that,” Marshaw’s now-deleted post said, the Clarion Ledger reported.
Marshaw is no longer on the congressman’s staff, Thompson said in a statement Sunday.
Read: VIP Trump Pennsylvania Rally Guest Captures Terrifying Moments During Assassination Attempt
“I was made aware of a post made by a staff member and she is no longer in my employment,” Thompson said in the statement shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The post sparked backlash from the Mississippi Republican Party, which demanded that the staffer be fired.
“[Bennie Thompson] should FIRE his field director for condoning the attempted assassination of President [Trump],” the Mississippi GOP said on X. “[Mississippi Democrats] must repudiate these despicable statements!”
“There is no room in American democracy for political violence,” Thompson wrote on X after the shooting Saturday evening. “I am grateful for law enforcement’s fast response to this incident. I am glad the former President is safe, and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.”
The attempted assassination of Trump at his rally resulted in the death of Buffalo volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, with the other two victims being 57-year-old David Dutch and 74-year-old James Copenhaver, who are both in stable condition, the Pennsylvania state police said in a statement Sunday. Trump sustained a wound on his face and right ear, but was otherwise uninjured, according to the Trump campaign.
Read: Trump Calls For Unity After Attempted Assassination In Pennsylvania
The FBI identified the alleged shooter as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. Crooks allegedly shot at Trump from “an elevated position” on top of a building approximately 400 feet away, according to The New York Times. The Secret Service neutralized the suspect immediately after Trump was struck.
Crooks donated $15 to the Progressive Turnout Project through the ActBlue donation platform in January 2021, according to campaign finance records. Crooks was also a registered Republican, according to a voter-registration record.
First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.