US Secret Service Comes Calling As Democratic Senator Calls For Assassinating Trump

Two days after United States President Donald Trump blamed both sides for violence in Charlottesville, Democratic state Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal posted a comment on Facebook saying she wished he would be assassinated, catching the attention of the Secret Service, Reuters has reported.

"I hope Trump is assassinated," Chappelle-Nadal had posted on social media. The comment has drawn ire of the opposition and has lead to calls for her resignation, despite Chappelle-Nadal saying she didn't actually wish harm to come to Trump but “wrote it out of frustration”.

Though the comment was quickly deleted, a screengrab of the statement was posted on Twitter by a St Louis radio host and was widely circulated online.

"I didn't mean what I put up. Absolutely not," Chappelle-Nadal has said, adding "It was in response to the concerns that I am hearing from residents of St Louis."

Her comment have drawn condemnation from fellow Democrats as well. "There is too much rancor and hate in today's political discourse, and Senator Chappelle-Nadal should be ashamed of herself for adding her voice to this toxic environment," Missouri Senate minority leader Gina Walsh, a Democrat, said.

Calls for her resignation also came from Republican Governor Eric Greitens and Missouri Democratic Party chairman Stephen Webber.

The US Secret Service is now investigating the threat. According to the Associated Press, the US Secret Service has said it is “looking into the comments,” adding that every threats issued against the President, Vice President and other protected people – whether direct, implied or made in passing – are investigated.