Trump campaign clarifies after joke about ‘fake news’ shooting is causing alarm

Former President Trump’s campaign issued an explanation after he joked about shooting for “fake news” at a rally on Sunday.

Speaking in Lititz, Pennsylvania, less than two days before Election Day, Trump said this while talking about the July 13 assassination attempt against him.

“I have a piece of glass here, and I don’t have a piece of glass there,” the Republican candidate told his supporters, pointing to the bulletproof glass around him.

“And I have this piece of glass here. But what we have here is fake news,” Trump said. He seemed to be referring to the gaggle of reporters in front of him at the time.

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“And for me to find out, somebody’s going to have to shoot fake news. And I don’t care about that. I don’t mind,” he joked, prompting laughter from the audience.

On Sunday, Trump’s campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, issued a statement saying the candidate’s speech had “nothing to do” with the injured reporters.

“President Trump spoke well about the two assassination attempts on him, including the assassination attempt, which the media always talks about and makes fun of,” said Cheung. “The President’s statement about the installation of protective glasses has nothing to do with harming the Media, or anything else.”

The speaker added that Trump’s comments were about “threats against him fueled by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats.”

“In fact, President Trump was saying that the media is vulnerable, because they were protecting him, therefore, they are very vulnerable themselves, and they should have a glass protection,” said Cheung.

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Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are caught in the crossfire with Election Day just days away. (AP)

“There can be no other explanation for what was said. He was actually looking out for their welfare, more than his own!”

In response to these comments, Harris campaign director Ammar Moussa accused Trump of “violating the Ninth Rule.”

“Trump is spending the closing days of his campaign angry and unrepentant, lying that the election was stolen because he is worried he will lose,” Moussa said in a statement. “The American people deserve a leader who speaks the truth and who will step into the Oval Office focused on them – that is Vice President Harris.”

Trump’s speech came as he and Harris are neck and neck in the general election on Sunday. Pennsylvania is a large swing state that is expected to be the deciding factor in which candidate wins the Electoral College.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spoke on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” and said Harris made a big mistake by not choosing Josh Shapiro, the governor of the Keystone State, as his running mate.

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Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaks to reporters after delivering remarks at a service at the Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, Detroit. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“Shapiro may have won the state of Pennsylvania,” Cruz said to Maria Bartiromo. “But the pro-Hamas wing of the Democrats[ic] The group could not think, could not bear, such a thing. “

Fox News’ Kelly Phares contributed to this report.