Dem Issues Apology for Suggesting Violence Against Trump

A House Democrat’s Controversial Remark on Donald Trump

A House Democrat recently found herself in hot water after making a comment about former President Donald Trump. During a cable news interview, Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) mistakenly said that Trump should be “shot” before quickly correcting herself. However, Plaskett insists that her words were not meant to incite violence against the former president.

In response to the circulating “inaccuracies” about her stance on Trump, Plaskett’s office released a statement to clarify her position. “It is unfortunate that conservative media has taken an instance where I misspoke and misrepresented it as though I advocate for violence — I unequivocally do not,” Plaskett stated.

Plaskett’s statement came after she received backlash for her remarks, prompting her to do some damage control. A POLITICO reporter shared the statement on Twitter, highlighting Plaskett’s attempt to address the situation.

Freudian slip? Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) slips and says Trump “needs to be shot.” She quickly corrects herself and says “stopped.” pic.twitter.com/cUJlhshiGD

— Kevin Tober (@KevinTober94) June 18, 2023

During the interview, Plaskett was discussing the charges against Trump in a federal documents case led by special counsel Jack Smith. As the former president runs for another term in the White House, Plaskett expressed concern about Trump having access to classified information and potentially sharing it at his resort. She initially said, “he needs to be shot,” but quickly corrected herself to say “stopped.”

Del. Stacey Plaskett (top Dem on the Weaponization committee) doing some cleanup for an MSNBC appearance over the weekend where she first accidentally said Trump “needs to be shot” (before correcting herself to say “stopped”) pic.twitter.com/eNdkXakktm

— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) June 20, 2023

Despite her immediate correction, Plaskett’s remarks went viral, with some suggesting it was a Freudian slip. However, Plaskett firmly rejected such characterizations, emphasizing that she does not wish harm upon Trump.

“I wish former President Trump no ill will or harm, only that justice be served in his case as with every other American who must face penalties for wrongdoing. I do believe and did intend to say that he must be ‘stopped,'” Plaskett clarified. She also made it clear that she does not support political violence or any behavior that goes against democratic principles.

Plaskett played a significant role as a House manager in the impeachment effort against Trump related to the events of January 6. Currently, she serves as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee’s panel investigating the alleged “weaponization” of the federal government.

“As Ranking Member of the House Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government, Ms. Plaskett works to ensure Democratic members of this Subcommittee focus on evidence-based inquiries and not wild conspiracy theories,” Plaskett’s biography page states. “The Republicans’ attempt to derail the federal government’s obligation to investigate and conduct due process on actions, organizations, and individuals that threaten our republic and create an anti-democratic environment will be met with strong resistance by Ms. Plaskett and her Democratic colleagues on the subcommittee.”