Brad Parscale, President Trump's former campaign manager who was demoted to senior adviser, is stepping away from the campaign, telling Politico he needs to "focus on my family and get help dealing with the overwhelming stress."
Parscale, 44, was involuntarily detained by police in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, over the weekend. His wife, Candice Parscale, told a 911 dispatcher that she heard a loud noise in their home, and she thought her husband may have shot himself, as he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and had been making comments about suicide. When police arrived, she told them she had to flee because he was wielding a handgun and "ranting and raving," Politico reports.
Officers wrote in their reports that Candice Parscale had "contusions" on her arms, forehead, and cheek, which she received "a few days ago during a physical altercation with Bradley, which she did not report." Officers were able to get Parscale out of the house, and he was seen on body cam footage walking around without a shirt on, carrying a beer. He was tackled by officers, and is heard saying, "I didn't do anything." On Tuesday, a judge gave police the authority to seize all of Parscale's guns and ammunition.
In a statement, Candice Parscale told Politico the comments she made to police "have been misconstrued, let it be clear my husband was not violent towards me that day or any day prior." In a joint statement, the Parscales said they "extend our thanks for everyone's thoughts and support during this difficult time for our family and we eagerly await all of the facts emerging."
Parscale was demoted from his position as campaign manager after Trump's June rally in Tulsa, his first in several months due to the coronavirus pandemic, was sparsely attended. In his new role as a campaign adviser, Parscale has done some work on digital projects. In a statement to Politico, Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's spokesman, said, "We hope only for the best for Brad and his family."