Mississippi Congressman Under Fire After Staffer Posts Assassination Comments on Facebook

Thompson: "This is a very serious matter"

A staffer for U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) has been placed on leave after posting comments on Facebook supporting an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

The post, which was quickly deleted, said that "Trump should be taken out" and that "it's time for him to pay the price for his crimes."

Thompson, who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement that he was "deeply disappointed" by the staffer's comments.

"This is a very serious matter," Thompson said. "I have directed my staff to investigate this incident and take appropriate action."

The staffer, who has not been identified, has since apologized for the comments, saying that they were "in no way reflective of the views of Congressman Thompson or his office."

The incident comes at a time of heightened political tensions in the United States. In recent months, there have been several threats of violence against members of Congress and other elected officials.

Thompson said that he is concerned about the increasing level of political violence in the country.

"We must all work together to lower the temperature and find ways to resolve our differences peacefully," he said.