A CNN correspondent is under fire after scolding former President Donald Trump for the first words he uttered seconds after being shot during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The would-be assassin fired eight shots from an AR-15 rifle at Trump while lying face-down on the roof of a building about 400 feet from the rally’s stage, killing one firefighter and severely wounding two spectators at the rally, and leaving a cut on Trump’s ear.
Trump realized he had been shot in the ear and fell to the ground. Secret Service agents rushed in to protect the former president. Seconds later, Secret Service agents received word that the shooter had been neutralized and tried to rush Trump off the stage. But Trump told them to wait, looked up at the crowd with blood streaming from his face, raised his fist, and yelled, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
Trump was escorted off the stage as the crowd chanted “USA!”
But CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel criticized Trump’s reaction, which occurred within 80 seconds of being shot in the ear.
“When I watched the video, one thing that struck me as odd because of the heated rhetoric was that after former President Trump got punched, he stood up and said, ‘Fight, fight, fight,'” Gangel said. Said.
“I think what we’re hearing from people is that that’s not the message we want to get across right now. We want to tone it down,” Gangel added.
A CNN correspondent was slammed on social media for criticizing a man who had just been the victim of an assassination attempt.
Talk show host Megyn Kelly“The man was shot in the head and bleeding. What the hell happened, @jamiegangel? Either way, that was the most moving ‘fight’ many have ever seen or heard. The fact that you heard it that way shows how lost you are.”
Donald Trump Jr.“Someone tried to assassinate my father tonight. CNN is looking at this. These people are despicable.”
Gun rights activist Dana Loesch“Your network and colleagues should do a self-check on rhetoric.”
Talk Radio Host Eric Ericson“That’s why the media must be held accountable. CNN’s Jamie Gangel is outraged that Trump wasn’t preaching to the crowd 30 seconds after he was shot. Unbelievable. Victim shaming.”
Former Trump speechwriter Darren J. Beatty“The media is the enemy of the people. It’s a shame they can say things like this.”
Reporter Megan Basham“Unbelievable. CNN is now criticizing Trump for calling on his supporters to fight seconds after he was shot by an assassin. I just don’t think that was the right tone.”
author Jim Hanson“What filthy people. CNN is a cancer.”
Another CNN personality also argued that Trump’s criticism of Biden was to blame for the rise in extremist rhetoric that led to the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
Republican strategist and CNN contributor Scott Jennings, speaking with the cable news network, explained that the assassination attempt grew out of relentless fear-mongering that a reelection of Trump would mark the end of America as we know it.
“The rhetoric around Trump in recent weeks has been that if he wins the election, our country is over, democracy is over, this will be the last election. These things have consequences. I don’t know what the shooter’s motive was. I don’t know any of the details, but I do know the rhetoric around Trump has become extreme,” Jennings began.
“We have people in this country dedicated to telling half the population that if Donald Trump wins the election, our country is over, our Constitution is gone,” Jennings said. stated“What I want to hear from all elected officials is that there are consequences to this kind of hyperbolic extremism and it must end. Yes, we are all shocked and political violence is not acceptable. Where does it come from? It must stop.”
CNN host Wolf Blitzer tried to hear “both sides” of the argument, saying, “But Trump has also made very strong statements condemning Biden. Biden is the worst president, the most dangerous president. He’s come out very strongly against President Biden.”
Jennings countered, “Who’s in the hospital?”
“People say calm down, and I agree that both sides need to calm down,” Blitzer said.
Do you like Blaze News? Bypass censorship and sign up for our newsletter to get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here!
