A statement from the Trump campaign blamed attacks by Democrats and “disgruntled RINOs” after former campaign manager Brad Parscale was hospitalized on an involuntary hold because he threatened to harm himself while armed with a gun at his Florida home. Parscale’s wife, Candice Blount Parscale, called police Sunday night after her husband threatened suicide, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said, “Brad Parscale is a member of our community and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible. The disgusting, personal attacks from Democrats and disgruntled RINOs have gone too far, and they should be ashamed of themselves for what they’ve done to this man and his family.” The statement was posted by Fox News’ John Roberts. RINO is a pejorative term that stands for Republican in Name Only.
Statement from @realDonaldTrump Campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh
Parscale, 44, was removed from his position leading the Trump campaign in July, according to The New York Times. Parscale was named to the post in February 2018. He was replaced by Bill Stepien. Parscale was the campaign’s digital media director for Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and remained on the team as senior adviser for data and digital operations after he was removed from the campaign manager position, according to the Trump team.
“Brad Parscale, who has been with me for a very long time and has led our tremendous digital and data strategies, will remain in that role, while being a senior adviser to the campaign. Both were heavily involved in our historic 2016 win, and I look forward to having a big and very important second win together,” Trump said in a statement announcing Parscale’s departure, according to The Times.
Police Said After Parscale’s Wife Called 911 ‘We Went & Got Him Help
GettyBrad Parscale.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale Police were called to Parscale’s home Sunday afternoon by his wife, Candice. Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Karen Dietrich told the newspaper, “We went out and it was very short. We went and got him help.” Initial reports indicated a SWAT team was called to the scene and there was a standoff, but Dietrich told the newspaper Parscale didn’t threaten police and went with them willingly. He was hospitalized under Florida’s Baker Act, “which allows police to detain a person who is potentially a threat to himself or others,” according to the Sun-Sentinel.
No one else was at the home, Local 10 News reports. Parscale’s wife met police outside after she called for help, the newspaper reports. Parscale and his wife have one child.
Fort Lauderdale Police said in a press release, “When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the reportee (wife of armed subject) who advised her husband was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself. Officers determined the only occupant inside the home was the adult male. Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home.”
According to the press release, Parscale was taken to Broward Health Medical Center. If you or anyone you know is suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit the website.
Parscale Has Kept a ‘Relatively Low Profile’ After Losing the Campaign Manager Job
GettyBrad Parscale at a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June 2020.
According to ABC News, Parscale has “kept a relatively low profile since the demotion.” The former San Antonio resident joined a Texas Trump campaign bus tour in early September and had posted “defiant messages” on Twitter, ABC News reported.
On August 8, Parscale tweeted, “I was @TeamTrump employee number 1 in 2015 for the exploration committee. My team built the biggest infrastructure in history. My critics are just trying to be relevant.”
In early September, The New York Times reported Trump’s re-election campaign had spent lavishly under Parscale’s leadership. The campaign had built a $1.1 billion war chest, but had spent more than $800 million from the beginning of 2019 through July 2020, according to The Times.
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