Multiple news outlets reported early Monday that Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, barricaded himself inside his home with firearms on Sunday and threatened to commit suicide.
After a brief but tense stand-off with police, Parscale was hospitalized.
The New York Post reported that Parscale’s wife Candice called law enforcement authorities to their Fort Lauderdale home, telling them that Parscale had access to several firearms and was threatening to harm himself.
“Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home,” the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement.
Parscale was the only one home at the time.
“We went out and it was very short, Chief Karen Dietrich told the Sun-Sentinel. “We went and got him help.”
Dietrich added that Parscale did not threaten police and willingly went with law enforcement under Florida’s Baker Act – a law that enables families and loved ones to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of mental illness, and unable to determine their needs for treatment.
Parscale was taken to a local hospital.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told the Sun-Sentinel:
“Politics aside, this fellow obviously suffers from emotional distress. I’m glad he didn’t do any harm to himself or others. I commend our SWAT team for being able to negotiate a peaceful ending to this.”
“It was indicated to me that he had weapons,” Trantalis said.
CNN reported, in part:
According to Fort Lauderdale Police Department Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw, Fort Lauderdale police officers responded to Parscale’s residence “in reference to an armed male attempting suicide.” Officers later identified him to CNN as Bradley Parscale and said his wife had called the police.
“When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the armed subject’s wife, who advised her husband was armed and had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself,” Greenlaw told CNN in a statement. The officers determined the only person inside the home was the adult male.
Greenlaw said officers contacted Parscale, “developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home. The male was detained without injury and transported to Broward Health Medical Center for a Baker Act.”
Fox News Chief White House Correspondent John Roberts posted the following statement from Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh.
From Trump Campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh:
“Brad Parscale is a member of our family 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.”
Statement from @realDonaldTrump Campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh pic.twitter.com/NKuJrtmImz
— John Roberts (@johnrobertsFox) September 28, 2020
The 44-year-old Parscale, who is still a senior advisor on the Trump campaign, was in mid-July demoted by Trump as campaign manager and replaced by veteran GOP political consultant Bill Stepien.
Trump has been on Twitter several times since news of Parscale’s hospitalization first broke, but had not tweeted about the incident as of the publication of this piece.
While Donald Trump Jr. had not tweeted about the Parscale story either, here’s what he said during a regularly-scheduled call-in interview with “Fox & Friends” on Monday morning.
On Fox News, @DonaldJTrumpJr says @parscale is “a great guy,” and “good friend.” “I don’t know the details of it, I heard about it when you guys did and wasn’t able to get a hold of him to check in on him. There’s a lot of pressure, I guess, with this job.”
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 28, 2020
There were plenty of despicable references to Parscale on Twitter, as you can imagine — which I chose not to include. However, aside from the vile stuff, here are a couple of common themes.
It would not surprise me if a Trump loyalist leaked Parscale’s situation to distract from the headlines about Trump’s Taxes. https://t.co/4q8sC7ZvXg
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) September 28, 2020
Couldn’t have had anything to do with the stress and pressure of Trump’s Make America Great Again Committee laundering nearly $170 million of campaign spending.
— The Ghost of George Conway (@gtconway3dg) September 28, 2020
Actor James Woods tweeted support for Parscale, in addition to thoughts on anyone contemplating suicide.
“Just giving support is the best thing any of us can do. Simply considering suicide is such a terrible thing. A person has to be suffering greatly to be in the frame of mind even to contemplate it. Let’s let Brad Parscale know that we care.”
Just giving support is the best thing any of us can do. Simply considering suicide is such a terrible thing. A person has to be suffering greatly to be in the frame of mind even to contemplate it. Let’s let Brad Parscale know that we care. https://t.co/htker6JVUO
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 28, 2020
To James Woods’s point, even contemplating suicide is a terrible situation indeed. Thoughts and prayers to Brad Parscale and his family.
Call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people in suicidal crisis or distress.
