Commentator Rachel Vindman has deleted a post on X that mocked a reported assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life.
Vindman, who has nearly half a million followers on the platform, is the co-host of the podcast The Suburban Women Problem. She is the wife of retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, who played a significant role as a witness in the first impeachment inquiry against Trump in 2019.
Within hours of would-be assassin Ryan Wesley Routh appearing with an AK-style rifle hundreds of yards away from Trump at one of his Florida golf courses, Vindman wrote on X, “No ears were harmed. Carry on with your Sunday afternoon.”
In a screenshot of a subsequent post that appears to be deleted, Vindman wrote, “Sorry you’re triggered” with three rolling on the floor laughing emojis.
She added: “I mean no I’m not. I don’t care a little bit.” You doubled down you psychopath pic.twitter.com/p4OBD9McWY
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) September 16, 2024
The initial post prompted Donald Trump Jr. to post a screenshot and comment, “These people are f------ demented.”
“This is a really sh---- tweet,” said radio host and former congressman Joe Walsh. “I’m no fan of Donald Trump, but what happened this afternoon was a potential assassination attempt on a candidate for President. That’s serious and must be condemned by all of us. Be better than this.”
On Monday, Vindman announced she removed the post.
“I have deleted my tweet,” she said. “It was flippant & political violence is a serious issue. Whether it’s aimed at a former president, the media, immigrants, or political ‘enemies’ & every incident should be addressed appropriately if we want to change the tenor of our political discourse.”
“I have sat awake many nights wondering who might be outside,” she continued. “I have known the instant fear of receiving an unknown package or letter. I have had my child ask me if we were safe and if someone was going to hurt our family.”
“With social media it’s easy to say the wrong thing and then walk away, but if words matter for some they should matter for all. I don’t always get it right the first time. I’m grateful to all who have supported us throughout the past five years,” she added. I have deleted my tweet. It was flippant & political violence is a serious issue. Whether it’s aimed at a former president, the media, immigrants, or political “enemies” & every incident should be addressed appropriately if we want to change the tenor of our political discourse.
— Rachel Vindman 🇺🇸🦅🌻 (@natsechobbyist) September 16, 2024
Since her husband testified during the impeachment inquiry, Vindman has claimed to have been the subject of harassment and threats.
In 2020, New York Magazine reported: Harassment of her family began, she says, the weekend after Alexander gave closed-door testimony to House impeachment investigators in October. Rachel says it started with false stories being spread on Twitter claiming her husband — who emigrated from Ukraine as a child — denigrated the United States to Russian military officers. Then, she says, a raft of threats followed when the stories were amplified by Donald Trump Jr. on Twitter. “That’s when I started getting scared,” she recalls. Later that day, President Trump was asked about her husband and he said, “We’ll see, things are going to come out and we’ll see.” “That’s when I was really scared,” she says. While Rachel says others may have found Trump’s comment “innocuous,” she took it as a threat. “Other things said subsequently were more threatening and more overt, but the first time is the most shocking,” she says. Some threats were mailed to their home. “You know you’re easy to find,” she says. “These people found us, even if it’s one or two a day, that’s enough and doesn’t matter if [they’re] balanced by letters of support.”
On Sunday, a Secret Service agent reportedly fired shots after seeing Routh holding an AK-style rifle in shrubbery at one of Trump’s golf courses in West Palm Beach.
Since the would-be assassin was apprehended by law enforcement, the Justice Department announced Routh faces federal gun charges for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Routh could serve a total of 20 years in prison if convicted of both charges, according to officials quoted by ABC7.
