Rep. Bennie Thompson Fires Staffer Over Trump Comments

A congressional staffer is out of a job in Mississippi after posting some nasty comments about the Donald Trump assassination attempt. The staffer identified as Jaqueline Marsaw worked for Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, and one Facebook post on Saturday read: "I don't condone violence but please get you some shooting lessons so you don't miss next time oops that wasn't me saying that," reports the Clarion Ledger. Another post suggested the shooting was staged, per the Magnolia Tribune. Thompson told Fox News that Marsaw is no longer employed by him.

The congressman himself, meanwhile, is taking heat not just for his former staffer's comments but for a bill he filed in the House earlier this year that would strip Trump of Secret Service protection as a convicted felon. The bill is currently in the hands of the House Judiciary Committee, per the Clarion Ledger. On Sunday, a group of Republicans that includes state auditor Shad White—who described Thompson as an "embarrassment to the state"—called on the congressman to resign. Thompson, for his part, condemned the attack on Trump. "There is no room in American democracy for political violence," he tweeted. (More Trump rally shooting stories.)