Presidential Candidate Faces Backlash After Pregnant Wife Faints

Presidential hopeful Rollan Roberts II is facing backlash for how he reacted to his pregnant wife’s sudden collapse during his campaign announcement.

On Jan. 20, Roberts was mere minutes into his campaign speech when his wife, Rebecca Lea Roberts, who was standing off to his side, began to stumble. She suddenly fell to the ground, taking an American flag down with her.

Rebecca, who is currently five months pregnant with the couple’s first child, a son, was immediately tended to by a nearby campaign aide, who knelt beside her and quickly removed the flagpole that had fallen on top of her.

Footage from the event appears to show Roberts hesitating for several moments before checking on his wife, who can be seen laying on the ground.

Watch the moment unfold, below:

Following the incident, Roberts was roasted online by many who believe the candidate didn’t react appropriately or respond to the situation quickly enough.

Check some reactions to the incident, below:

After his wife was tended to, Roberts thanked both the medical officers at the scene as well as God.

“Can we give a hand to the medical team for their assistance? … She is five months pregnant. Her blood pressure is fine, so we thank the Lord for this,” Roberts said, according to The West Virginia Daily News.

“I am running for president, not to take us backwards to the way things used to be, and not to reset humanity to some ideology, but through principled and disciplined leadership — sound wisdom grounded in truth, and with respect for all people — to lead America in solving the great issues of our day in a way that lays the foundation for our leadership and excellence in the 22nd century,” Roberts, who is a businessman and the son of a West Virginia senator, said during his campaign announcement.