What did Lester Holt say about Trump? MAGA crowd calls for anchor to be fired over thwarted assassination comments 

Within weeks of Donald Trump being shot during a Butler, Pennsylvania, election rally, he was yet again targeted in what the FBI has called an “attempted assassination” at his Florida mansion. As several news outlets reported on the same, NBC News’ Lester Holt has come under fire for his comments about the same.

Lester Holt said on his NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt show:

“Today’s apparent assassination attempt comes amid increasingly fierce rhetoric on the campaign trail. Mr. Trump, his running mate JD Vance continue to make baseless claims about Haitian immigrants.”

In response to the same, journalist Graham Allen said on X:

“Lester Holt is basically saying Trump “deserved to be shot” and “brought this on himself. He should be FIRED immediately.”

The tweet had amassed over a million views at the time of writing this article.

Meanwhile, several other MAGA supporters took to X to express similar sentiments. Some comments online read:

“Lester Holt is trash period,” an X user said.

“I see Lester Holt has sold his soul as well… freely sharing lie after lie to support evil,” another platform user commented.

“Lester has lost all journalistic integrity,” another netizen said.

The broadcast journalist has anchored multiple shows, including Dateline NBC, Weekend Today, and Justice For All, among others. Before joining the news organization, he worked with WBBM-TV in Chicago. Meanwhile, other reactions read:

“Boycott NBC…. Fire Lester Holt,” an X user said.

“This is disgusting even for you. Lester Holt must be fired or resign immediately,” a platform user commented.

“I can’t believe Lester Holt is reading that off the teleprompter as if it is true. Not class, no ethics, no journalistic standards, just hate and bias,” a netizen said online.

As Holt’s statement goes viral, representatives for Donald Trump have confirmed that the former potus remained “safe and unharmed” following the assassination attempt. Other reactions read:

“Lester Holt is a deranged liberal as*hole. He needs to be investigated,” an X user said.

“@LesterHoltNBC is scum! Hopefully someone will hold HIM accountable for HIS rhetoric,” another netizen said.

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What we know about the assassination attempt against Donald Trump

The incident unfolded at the presidential candidate’s Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The gunman, who has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, was first spotted by Secret Serving Agents while they swept the golf course before Trump appeared.

According to the County Sheriff, Ric Bradshaw, the gunman was found holding an AK-47 style rifle through a shrubbery. At that time, the former president was about 300 to 500 yards away from the gunman.

The suspect, Routh, was apprehended by the police as he drove away from the golf course.

The New York Times uncovered that Ryan Routh is a former construction worker hailing from North Carolina, Greensboro. He does not have any former military background, nonetheless, he claimed, he wished to participate in Ukraine’s war with Russia in 2022.

Meanwhile, his social media profiles also included pro-Palestinian, anti-China, and pro-China messages, with him also claiming that China was using “biological warfare” while referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the FBI Miami Field Office announced that they were leading an investigation into the assassination attempt with other law enforcement agencies.

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Routh will be making his first court appearance at the Palm Beach County courthouse next week.