Today, U.S, Congresswoman Stacey Plasket is defending her 2023 statement saying Donald Trump needs to be “Shot, stopped” after the video went viral on X. Plasket is a surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a live interview in June 2023, Democratic Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands stirred controversy after a verbal slip involving former President Donald Trump. While discussing Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents, Plaskett said that Trump “needs to be shot,” before quickly correcting herself, stating “stopped.” The comment immediately spread across social media platforms, with many users expressing outrage and interpreting it as a call for violence against Trump.
Plaskett quickly addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), clarifying that her remark was a mistake. She pointed out that she immediately corrected herself and reaffirmed her stance against political violence.
“I don’t condone nor have I ever condoned political violence as evidenced by my NEXT WORD correction being stop,” Plaskett wrote, emphasizing that her focus was on preventing hate speech and stopping harmful actions, not inciting violence.
Despite her clarification, the incident drew strong reactions online, with critics calling out the comment as irresponsible, especially in the context of heightened political tensions in the U.S. Some conservative figures and commentators suggested that her words revealed deeper sentiments, despite her correction.
Plaskett, however, remained firm in her statement, accusing some users of spreading misinformation by sharing the out-of-context clip, saying it was a gaffe.
Others said it was a ‘Freudian slip’, and shared it the day after a second failed assassination attempt against the former President.
This episode adds to the growing scrutiny over political rhetoric and its potential implications, especially as the 2024 election season heats up.
