Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki is under fire for urging Republicans to change their rhetoric and tone, following a shooting incident involving former President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks grazed Trump's ear in a shooting incident that resulted in the death of one spectator and injuries to two others. The assailant was subsequently killed by a Secret Service counter-assault agent.
The incident has prompted a strong reaction from Trump's family and supporters, who have accused the liberal media of downplaying the severity of the assassination attempt. They also criticized the media for publishing opinion pieces that were perceived as tone-deaf in the aftermath of the tragedy.
The controversy escalated when Jen Psaki appeared on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. During her appearance, she called on Republicans to tone down their rhetoric, further angering many in the GOP.
"One thing for all of us to remember is it may not feel paused tomorrow or Tuesday. And part of that is because the convention is starting and unless the programming changes, the rhetoric and how the programming is set up is not actually calming the tone or restoring civility," Psaki remarked.
Her comments have been met with widespread criticism from Republicans, who feel that Psaki's call for a change in tone unfairly places the blame on them in the wake of a violent attack on the former president.