Rachel Vindman, wife of former Trump impeachment witness Alexander Vindman, sparked controversy on social media with her response to the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life. After a man was arrested outside Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, Vindman tweeted, “No ears were harmed. Carry on with your Sunday afternoon.”
The comment was met with backlash, particularly given that Vindman’s husband was a witness in Trump’s impeachment trial and had previously been a target of Trump’s criticism. The tweet was seen as insensitive, especially considering the first assassination attempt had injured Vindman’s ear and resulted in the death of former fire chief Corey Comperatore.
Vindman doubled down on her statement, saying, “Sorry you’re triggered. I mean no I’m not. I don’t care a little bit.” She went on to criticize Trump, saying he had been “inciting violence against his enemies for years” and was now claiming to be a victim.
In contrast, other Democrat leaders were quick to condemn the attempted assassination. Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted, “There is no place for political violence, including the disturbing incident we just witnessed in West Palm Beach. We must denounce it in the strongest possible terms, and I am relieved that the former President is safe.”
The White House released a statement saying the President and Vice President had been briefed on the incident and were relieved to know Trump was safe. Vice President Kamala Harris also commented on the incident, saying she was glad Trump was safe and that “violence has no place in America.”
Her running mate, Tim Walz, echoed her sentiments, saying, “Gwen and I are glad to hear that Donald Trump is safe. Violence has no place in our country. It’s not who we are as a nation.”