Photo Credit:Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump sparked widespread condemnation Saturday night after making a disturbing remark about a supporter being willing to commit suicide rather than back President Biden. The controversial comments came during Trump's rally at The Grounds venue in Las Vegas.
"There's a guy, he's a great guy, and he's putting me so much above everything," Trump told supporters while recounting a conversation. "He said 'If you don't run, sir, I will join those'—and they're very firm about it—'I will join those that will be committing suicide.'" The twice-impeached former president then doubled down, stating "How committed? There's no other way to say it."
The suicide reference immediately drew gasps and criticism from lawmakers, mental health advocates, and social media alike. "For Trump to brazenly joke about one of his supporters committing suicide is beyond the pale," tweeted Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). "This is severely sick stuff from the former president."
Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, condemned Trump's rhetoric as "inappropriate and disturbing." In a statement, Moutier said "Suicide should never be normalized, joked about, or treated as a negotiation tactic. This remark could further put lives at risk during an already devastating crisis."
An estimated 15,000 diehard Trump supporters packed into The Grounds for the rally, which was part of his ongoing efforts to tease a 2024 presidential run. Other prominent Republican figures like Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were in attendance to show their backing.
For his part, Trump defended the suicide comment as merely repeating what an adoring fan had told him verbatim. But the explanation did little to quell backlash. "No one should treat suicide with such cavalier disregard, let alone hold it up for applause," said Shannon Watts, founder of the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action.
While the outcry continued to swell online, the Las Vegas rally progressed with the usual airing of grievances from the former president. Trump hit familiar notes by falsely claiming the 2020 election was "rigged" while pledging his support for MAGA candidates like Jim Lamon, who is running for Senate in Arizona.
Mental health professionals and political pundits alike expressed dismay that Trump's suicide reference could potentially inspire copycats. Even before this latest provocation, suicide rates had been spiking over the past two decades, reaching an all-time high of 47,000 deaths by suicide in 2021 per CDC data.
Rallies and campaigns have continued for Trump despite the Justice Department's intensifying probe into his handling of classified White House documents. With his wife Melania by his side in Vegas, the 76-year-old doubled down on being a "full-throated America First fighter"—shocking comments about suicide and all.
