A House Democrat who said Donald Trump should be “shot” before quickly correcting herself during a cable news interview insists that she meant no harm to the former president.
Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) issued a statement on Tuesday meant to counter “inaccuracies” that have been circulating regarding the non-voting House member’s thoughts on Trump, according to Plaskett’s office.
“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 said.
A POLITICO reporter who shared the statement on Twitter said Plaskett was “doing some cleanup” for her MSNBC appearance on Sunday.
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
Plaskett made the comments while 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.
“You know, having Trump not only have had the codes, but now having the classified information for Americans and being able to put that out and share it in his resort — with anyone and everyone who comes through — should be terrifying to all Americans, and he needs to be shot … stopped,” she said.
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
Though she corrected herself, Plaskett’s remarks went viral, with some Twitter users suggesting the delegate had a Freudian slip. Plaskett rejected such characterizations, some of which made their way into media reports from Fox News and the like.
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“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,’” she said. “I do not advocate for anyone to shoot former President Trump. I do not encourage or condone political violence nor behavior that goes against democratic principles at any time.”
Plaskett served as a House manager in the January 6-focused impeachment effort against Trump, which ended in Senate acquittal. She is currently the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee’s panel that is 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 says. “The Republican’s [sic] 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.”