In what might be the most absurd and tone-deaf media meltdown of the year, CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane recently revealed that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. But here’s the kicker — MacFarlane claims his trauma wasn’t from the actual violent attack or the tragic death of retired firefighter Corey Comperatore, but rather from the *behavior and looks* of Trump supporters at the rally.
In a jaw-dropping interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd on July 16, 2025, MacFarlane recounted how within 48 hours of the assassination attempt, he was put on trauma leave — not due to the shooting itself, but because, in his own words, “you saw it in the eyes, the reaction of the people.” He went on to say that the crowd’s expressions told him “they were coming for us,” implying that Trump supporters posed an imminent threat just by attending the rally.
“If he didn’t jump up with his fist,” MacFarlane said, “they were going to come kill us.” Todd nodded along approvingly.
To say conservatives were unimpressed would be an understatement.
Matt Walsh, popular conservative commentator, tore into MacFarlane’s claims on X, writing, “There have always been pathetic weaklings like Scott MacFarlane in the world. But they at least used to have the decency to be ashamed of themselves for it. Now they stand up and proudly declare, ‘Hey, everyone, I’m a pathetic weakling!’ It’s bizarre.”
Other conservative voices questioned the veracity of MacFarlane’s diagnosis outright. The account The Voice of the Signal tweeted, “He’s lying. I cannot believe he really got PTSD from the crowds being upset; if he did, let’s see the receipt. Just an opportunity to try to tarnish our movement. But it’s so pathetic and preposterous, it won’t work.”
Even Jeffrey Clark, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) under the Trump administration, didn’t hold back. Clark blasted MacFarlane on social media as “the biggest crybaby I’ve ever heard tell of,” sarcastically mocking the notion that MacFarlane developed PTSD because “people in the crowd gave him some stray dirty looks.”
Clark reminded the reporter what real adversity looks like, urging, “Grow a pair. Instead, try on for size the mainstream media trying to constantly destroy you — as they did to me — for four years and counting, getting death threats, having people come to your house, receiving threatening letters and voicemails, having to fear for the safety of your family.”
MacFarlane’s melodramatic remarks stand in stark contrast to the courage and resilience shown by those who support President Trump despite relentless media attacks and politically motivated violence. While leftist journalists like MacFarlane hide behind fragile claims of “trauma” after facing nothing more than hostile stares, Trump’s supporters continue to stand strong in the face of actual threats, violence, and political persecution.
This episode underscores the media’s ongoing unwillingness to acknowledge the dangers faced by conservatives and their eagerness to paint Trump supporters as villains while casting themselves as victims. It’s a narrative that wears thin by the day — and Americans are not buying it.
