The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin was shredded online for quipping that it was time for a “bunker inspection” after the Secret Service rushed the president out of a press briefing, seemingly elated that he might be in danger.
Following President Trump’s abrupt evacuation from a White House press conference on Monday, the Post’s self-ordained “conservative” columnist casually tweeted “Bunker inspection time?”
While the brief scare was later said to have been triggered by an armed suspect near the White House, who was shot by Secret Service agents, Rubin’s tweet was inundated with a flood of criticism, many seeing it as a highly inappropriate and “tone deaf” response to a potential threat to the president’s life.
“Assassination attempts are knee slapping hilarious, aren't they?” another user shot back with a thick layer of sarcasm.
READ MORE: Trump press conference interrupted after shots fired outside White House
While it wasn’t immediately clear why Trump was rushed from the briefing, with the shooting only reported after his return a short time later, some critics also suggested Rubin was making light of the violence, or even “celebrating” it. Despite the wave of condemnation, the blogger has yet to clarify what she meant or remove the offending post, leaving detractors to assume the worst.
Even avowed opponents of the commander in chief, such as Never Trumper Tom Nichols, pushed back against Rubin and others making light of the news, arguing the “safety of the president is not a joking matter,” though he did not mention the WaPo writer by name. Nichols’ post prompted a series of rebuttals, with one blue-check giving a full-throated defense for violent “fantasies” about the president.
Both the armed suspect shot on Monday evening and a Secret Service agent were brought to hospital for treatment following the encounter. Their status, as well as the circumstances of the shooting, remain unclear, however the Secret Service said the White House complex was not breached and no officials were in danger at any point during the incident.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!