Democratic Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson asserted on Friday that he made a mistake when he referred to the Nov. 26 murder of a National Guardsman as an “unfortunate accident.”
Thompson’s remarks downplaying the attack, which caused West Virginia National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom’s death, took place during a Thursday House Homeland Security Committee hearing. When “CNN News Central” host Kate Bolduan asked him about the phrase he used, he denied it reflected his sentiment.
“[Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem], in the back-and-forth with you, she called you out when you were speaking and asking her question, and you called the shooting and killing of the National Guard member that happened recently an ‘unfortunate accident.’ You then called it an ‘unfortunate situation.’ The man is charged with first-degree murder,” Boludan said. “Congressman, do you believe it was an accident?”
“Oh, absolutely not. And obviously, let me be clear, I was moving toward the discussion that she could not blame [former President] Joe Biden on the situation because she approved this person’s asylum application,” Thompson responded. “And that’s where we were headed.”
Bolduan asked Thompson if he was claiming he “misspoke.”