Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson, who proposed removing Donald Trump’s Secret Service protection, has come under heavy criticism in the wake of the assassination attempt on the former president.
Trump was hit by sniper fire at a rally in Butler, PA, on Saturday, July 13. Miraculously, the Republican presumptive nominee survived the shooting after the bullet pierced his right ear. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by the Secret Service Counter Assault Team within seconds of his first shots.
Questions have been asked of the Secret Service after Crooks was able to access a rooftop around 450 feet away from the stage where Trump was speaking. Eyewitness reports also suggest that the shooter’s presence on the rooftop was known before Crooks fired his first shot, and police had up to two minutes to react before shots rang out.
An outpouring of support for former president Trump followed with Republicans and Democrats condemning the assassination attempt.
However, when Rep. Bennie Thompson offered his thoughts, social media users were quick to point out that he had previously introduced legislation to remove Trump’s Secret Service detail.
The Mississippi congressman and member of the House Committee on Homeland Security previously introduced a bill which would strip convicted felons who had been sentenced to prison of Secret Service protection. Introduced in April 2024, the bill was introduced as Trump’s hush money trial commenced. While not specified by name, the bill clearly was created for the sole purpose of targeting Trump and putting him in danger.
Not only did Rep. Thompson receive backlash for his previous lawmaking efforts, but he was also forced to fire his field director Jacqueline Marsaw who reportedly posted “don’t miss next time” on Facebook in response to the shooting.
And his boss probably shares those sentiments.
