Josh Dawsey
Washington - A former campaign manager of President Donald Trump's was taken to a hospital on Sunday after authorities received a call that he was threatening suicide at his Florida home, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department said in a statement.
Brad Parscale, who ran Trump's campaign until July, was taken willingly to the hospital by police under a Florida law that allows authorities to detain a person they think poses a danger to themselves.
"Officers made contact with the male, developed a rapport, and safely negotiated for him to exit the home," Sgt. DeAnna Greenlaw said. "The male was detained without injury and transported to Broward Health Medical Center for a Baker Act."
The Trump campaign issued a statement in support of Parscale.
"Brad Parscale is a member of our family and we all love him. We are ready to support him and his family in any way possible," Trump campaign manager Tim Murtaugh said.
Parscale continued to hold a senior role in the campaign - in charge of digital spending - but had been demoted in July after questions were raised about his spending and in the aftermath of a June rally in Tulsa, Okla., where the president and Parscale promised a big crowd but one did not materialize amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Greenlaw said that the incident occurred about 4 p.m. Sunday and that police arrived at Parscale's home in Fort Lauderdale in response to a call about "an armed male attempting suicide."
The police were called by Parscale's wife, who told the officers upon their arrival that her "husband was armed, had access to multiple firearms inside the residence and was threatening to harm himself."
Two campaign officials said they were aware of an incident and were investigating it. They, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation.
Parscale, 44, had worked for the president in the 2016 cycle and was named campaign manager early in the presidency.
Parscale is close to the Trump family and had been in the campaign office in Arlington, Virginia, in recent weeks.
Parscale had told others that he was upset by his demotion and attacks from people who were questioning his behaviour as campaign manager. But he had spoken to officials in recent days, aides said, and remained involved in the campaign.