After suicide attempt, former Trump campaign manager walks away

Fort Lauderdale – Brad Parscale, President Trump’s former campaign manager, has left the Trump 2020 campaign to focus on getting help for “overwhelming stress,” according to a statement given to Politico. This announcement comes after Parscale’s suicide attempt at his Fort Lauderdale home two weeks ago.

On September 27, Fort Lauderdale authorities said they were contacted by Terry Bethal, a local real estate agent, according to a police report obtained by the Current Affairs Times. Bethal said she had a woman with her in the car who had fled her home without possessions, because her husband had loaded a gun in front of her. This was followed by a gunshot in the home.

The woman, later revealed as Brad Parscale’s wife, Candice, said she was afraid to re-enter the home in case he had committed suicide, or in case her husband might harm her. The report listed ten firearms under Brad Parscale’s possession when he was detained by police — five handguns, two rifles, two shotguns, and a small revolver.

According to the same report, once police arrived on the scene, they could tell that Brad Parscale had been drinking alcohol. He allegedly refused to leave the premises and “barricaded” himself inside his home.

Footage released from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department shows Parscale eventually left the premises holding a beer. When a police officer asked what happened, Parscale said, “[Candace] started saying all this sh**,” before officers tackled Parscale to the ground.

Fort Lauderdale authorities detained Parscale for his suicide attempt under Florida’s Baker Act. According to the University of Florida Health’s website, this act “provides emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness, and who are unable to determine their needs for treatment.” People who are detained under the Baker Act have lost self-control, and will probably harm themselves or others around them. In an email to the Current Affairs Times, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said they “have not and will not be issuing any statements or answering questions regarding this incident.”

Candice Parscale told police that her husband had been stressed for a couple of weeks prior to September 27, and that he “suffers from PTSD.” Parscale also informed police about her husband’s “suicidal comments” made in the week leading up to the 911 call.

When asked about the bruises on her body, Candice Parscale said that Brad Parscale “hit her,” according to Politico. In the 911 call, the real estate agent, Bethal, can be heard asking about Candice Parscale’s bruises — specifically those on her arm. Though the recording does not indicate a response from Candice, she later said her statements regarding Brad’s abuse had been “misconstrued.” Parscale’s wife did not clarify who had “misconstrued” her statements.

“Let it be clear that my husband was not violent towards me that day or any day prior,” she said.

Brad Pascale was demoted from Trump’s campaign manager position in July due to Trump’s fall in the polls. Notably, Pascale took the hit for the low attendance at a campaign rally in Tulsa earlier this year — Pascale publicly claimed a million filled seats but in actuality only 6,000 people showed up.

Pascale was allegedly upset that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son and senior adviser, demoted him, rather than Trump himself, according to people familiar with the matter. Pascale also reportedly felt under attack by the media’s stories about the campaign’s finances and “questionable spending,” according to the same sources. Despite his demotion, Pascale stayed on the campaign by frequently flying between his Florida home and Arlington, Virginia, to assist on digital projects for the campaign.

A final hearing for the Baker Act incident on September 27 will be scheduled for sometime this month. In a joint statement issued on September 30, the Pascales said they extend their “thanks for everyone’s thoughts and support during this difficult time for our family and we eagerly await all of the facts emerging.”

Will Brad Parscale undergo further treatment for potential mental health issues? Will he try to continue his career in politics?

Image Credit: Tom Brenner/Getty Images

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