A video is circulating online showing congressional candidate Rebecca Bennett walking away without comment when directly asked if she condemns attempts to harm former President Trump. The encounter, captured and widely shared, has ignited scrutiny of her public stance on political violence.
The video depicts a man approaching Bennett and posing the question about harm to the former president. Instead of responding, Bennett continued walking, while a woman accompanying her aggressively told the questioner to “get a life.” The woman’s outburst attempted to drown out the persistent questioning.
The man continued to press the issue, asking if people should “stop trying to kill the president.” The accompanying woman responded by loudly singing, seemingly to disrupt the line of inquiry and shield Bennett from further engagement.
Bennett’s campaign later released a statement asserting she “has and always will condemn political violence against President Trump.” They also highlighted a previous post Bennett made on social media regarding an incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
In that post, Bennett unequivocally condemned the attempted attack at the dinner, calling it an act of political violence with no place in a democracy. She expressed gratitude for the Secret Service and law enforcement officers whose quick actions prevented further harm.
Bennett, a Navy veteran and Air National Guard member, initially positioned herself as a moderate Democrat seeking to unseat a Republican incumbent in a district with strong support for the former president. This strategy aimed to appeal to a broader range of voters.
However, a review of Bennett’s past social media activity reveals a different picture. Numerous posts, now deleted, demonstrate support for progressive figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Kamala Harris.
During the period of civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, Bennett also voiced agreement with calls for investigations into law enforcement responses, a position that contrasts with her later “moderate” branding. These deleted posts are raising questions about the consistency of her political messaging.
The incident and the resurfaced social media posts have intensified the focus on Bennett’s political positions and her approach to navigating a politically charged campaign in a closely watched congressional race.
