New York Times writer Maggie Haberman told CNN on Friday that former President Donald Trump's appearance at a rally, where the Republican nominee told the crowd he had "a bit of a yip problem" after he thought someone was approaching the stage — also after two assassination attempts — indicates that the GOP nominee is "on edge."
Relaying what she saw at Trump's rally, Haberman told CNN's "The Source," that "Looking at his face was very telling, because you see his eyes dart off to the right, and he jerks his body, and he says it that he thought that somebody was coming up to the stage."
"This is clearly his reaction after what happened on Sunday when there was another apparent assassination attempt on him. The second in just over two months. And he is on edge. For him to say that he has a yip problem, which is an acknowledgment of anxiety, is pretty unusual for a guy who likes to project strength at all times."
A number of reports, including from The Hill and Haberman herself, have described the attempt on Trump's life as an "apparent" assassination attempt, an aside suggested in the media that Trump brought it upon himself.
Since the first assassination attempts, Republicans have been calling for the mainstream media to tone down the rhetoric against Trump. In the time leading up to the two assassination attempts, the media has been calling Trump the next Adolph Hitler, or that he will bring an end to democracy.
Nonetheless, Haberman went on to tell CNN that the Trump campaign feels "under siege."
"He and his campaign, feel very under siege. They just feel as if they are under attack, all the time, in one way or another, and for a variety of reasons. There are physical threats. There are internet threats. There is a number of threats. And it's coming from various places."
"But there's the one shooter in Butler, Pennsylvania, and there's the alleged gunman in Florida. And so far, there's no reason to believe that those have ties to anybody."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., wrote in a letter to Secret Service acting Director Ronald Rowe that a whistleblower has brought to light new information that the Secret Service permitted Trump's endangerment on Sept. 15 at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
"A whistleblower with direct knowledge of Secret Service protection at former President Trump's golf course ..." says, "the gunman was permitted to remain along or near the fence line for some 12 hours."