Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo sparked controversy on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when she suggested that former President Donald Trump should be “extinguish[ed] for good.” The remark came just 10 days after a second attempt on Trump’s life and two months after the first attempt on July 13.
Raimondo, who appeared on the show in her “personal capacity,” made the comment while discussing what she claimed was another “lie” from Trump. Co-host Mika Brzezinski sought clarification, asking if Raimondo meant that Trump should be “voted out,” to which the secretary replied, “Yes, absolutely, vote him out, banish him from American politics, yes, just vote him out so he goes away because he’s–it’s just not where America… let’s turn the page.”
The Trump-Vance campaign quickly seized on Raimondo’s remarks, releasing a statement that highlighted the “deplorable commentary from Democrats and the Fake News” in the aftermath of the latest assassination attempt. The campaign also pointed out that Raimondo’s comments were part of a larger pattern of inflammatory rhetoric from top Democrats and their allies in the media.
The segment began with Brzezinski noting that Raimondo was there to discuss the economy, but the conversation quickly turned to Trump and the upcoming election. Raimondo claimed that Trump’s policies would “absolutely increase costs” due to tariffs and that Vice President Kamala Harris was a “remarkably talented candidate” who was “sincere, pragmatic, and open.”
However, Brzezinski pushed back, asking Raimondo to provide a clearer vision for Harris’s campaign, rather than just listing goals. Raimondo struggled to provide a coherent answer, instead resorting to repeating talking points about Harris’s supposed focus on bringing down costs and representing a “new way forward.”
The conversation took a darker turn when Raimondo began ranting about Trump’s comments on women’s issues, including his claim that he would be a “protector” for women. Brzezinski handed Raimondo the opportunity to make her inflammatory comment, asking, “How have we gotten here?!” Raimondo’s response was to suggest that Trump should be “extinguish[ed] for good.”
The incident highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding MSNBC’s handling of inflammatory rhetoric, particularly in the aftermath of violent incidents. The network has faced criticism for providing a platform for guests to spew hate speech, while also failing to adequately address the issue of violent rhetoric.
