House Democrat apologizes after saying Trump ‘has to be eliminated’

Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) apologized Monday for his “poor choice of words” when he said former President Trump must be “eliminated” to protect democracy.

“Yesterday on TV, I mistakenly used the wrong word to express the importance for America that Donald Trump doesn’t become President again,” Goldman wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“While he must be defeated, I certainly wish no harm to him and do not condone political violence,” Goldman continued. “I apologize for the poor choice of words.”

In an interview with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Goldman warned that Trump’s rhetoric “is really getting dangerous, more and more dangerous.”

“It is just unquestionable at this point that that man cannot see public office again. He is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy, and he has to be, he has to be eliminated,” Goldman said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

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It was not immediately clear what Goldman meant when using the word “eliminated,” and Psaki did not question the language.

Goldman, however, received subsequent backlash for his word choice, prompting his apology.

Trump, who remains the GOP front-runner in the 2024 presidential primary, is currently facing four criminal indictments. Two of the cases center on his alleged efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election to President Biden.