Trump Assassination Attempt Fallout: Mockers Now Losing Jobs Across US

Across the United States, individuals are losing their jobs after facing backlash for mocking Donald Trump following an assassination attempt last week. Those affected include school employees, a restaurant worker, a fire chief, and a political aide.

Trump Critics Facing Consequences
John James, an instructor at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, was suspended by university officials after making an “offensive and unacceptable social media post.” It is unclear if he was fired, but James is no longer associated with the university. On social media, he had written, “If you’re gonna shoot, man, don’t miss.”

Similarly, Cooper Graves, a worker at Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar, was terminated for violating the restaurant’s social media policy after he commented “so close” regarding the failed assassination attempt on Trump. The restaurant stated on Facebook, “This individual has been immediately suspended pending a full HR investigation. This employee made these statements of his own volition and does not reflect or represent the views of our company.”

In Pennsylvania, a middle school behavior facilitator and a fire chief also lost their jobs for making mocking posts about the assassination attempt.

Expert Advice
Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the University of Southern California and a psychologist, advised caution regarding public statements. She told USA Today, “There’s always an audience for people misbehaving.”

North emphasized the seriousness of making public statements about wishing harm on someone, noting, “When it comes to things like wishing somebody died, there is nothing more horrible than making public statements about that.”

She further remarked on the role of social media, saying, “Social media has become the town square, where people are put in the stocks and held out there to be humiliated because of their actions.”