‘If this camera wasn’t here…’: Alec Baldwin threatened to snap a Trump impersonator’s neck and there’s video proof

It’s understandable that, at this point, many of us are beyond aggravated at Donald Trump’s actions and words since he took office. However, as profoundly exasperated as we may be at the actual Trump, Alec Baldwin is perceived by many as having taken his frustration a step too far.

Granted, it’s probably not that it’s Trump impersonator Jason Scoop approaching him and bursting his social bubble quite unceremoniously that has Baldwin reacting in a way that no one ought to: by threatening to break the comedian’s neck in half. Instead, it must be what the not-Trump says about the tragic Rust accident, which claimed the life of Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, and landed the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, in prison to serve a sentence of a year and a half.

It’s easy to watch the video and instinctively take one side while harshly condemning the opposite party. But, before we reach a conclusion and form an opinion, let’s try to unpack this now-viral situation’s many layers.

Was it appropriate or an overreaction?

On Sunday night, Feb. 24, Jason Scoop, dressed and acting like the current POTUS, approached the 66-year-old actor, who was in the process of taking his stuff out of his Uber ride home. At first, Alec Baldwin doesn’t seem too put off. However, and even though we can’t perceive his facial expression, one can feel something shifting in the air – yes, even through the screen – the moment not-Trump tells Baldwin he’ll give him “a total pardon” for “murdering that woman in cold blood.”

Upon perusing different social media platforms and comment sections, it’s clear people online are split on how to feel about the tense encounter’s contentious culmination. Some netizens have voiced their belief that Baldwin’s reaction is justified and even showed a measure of restraint, others think this is yet another sign the actor is indecently hot-tempered, and others still are trying to paint this as a Left versus Right issue and as proof leftists gravitate towards violence.

With the bare facts laid out let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the matter: Celebrities are still human beings whose status does not make it permissible to find them on the street and make them the unwilling participant in a skit where one is reminded of what is likely to have been a deeply scarring event and set of consequences. Sure, we may argue that if Hannah Gutierrez went to prison for her gross on-set negligence, Baldwin, as someone who was a producer and allegedly pulled the trigger even though he claims he did not, should not have gone scot-free.

As tragically preventable as Halyna’s death was, with it not having been sparked by maliciousness, should it mean that the people whose lack of professionalism led to her untimely death be harassed for the rest of their lives? Speaking of families, judging by what Baldwin says in the video, he’s in front of his apartment where his kids are, even though Scoop later alleges in a comment that “his kids were nowhere around.”

Baldwin’s children may not have been on the street, but nothing thus far proves they were not in the apartment overlooking the incident outside. While we do not know whether the Baldwin children were alerted by the exchange, nothing establishes beyond doubt that Baldwin did not have a legitimate concern about his kids overhearing or learning about the interaction. Two things can be true at the same time: Scoop may believe the kids weren’t around and Baldwin may have believed they could be witnessing an ultimately upsetting interaction. And surely, with it being under a spotlight on the internet, it has the potential to once again force unwanted scrutiny upon them.

According to a TMZ interview with Scoop, when the camera stopped rolling, Hilaria Baldwin began chasing after the impersonator “around the block” in high heels. However, at the end of this interview, Scoop hints that getting Mr. Baldwin riled up was the point. The moment Baldwin threatened to “kill him,” the comedian thought, in his own words: “I got GOLD, baby!” And he did, as this kind of clip is blood in the water when posted on social media.

“Not a big fan of harassing people at their homes…no matter who it is. I hate Alec Baldwin, but I definitely don’t like this video,” one Instagram commenter wrote.

In the new TLC reality show starring the Baldwins, Hilaria and Alec discuss how the Rust accident has impacted them and led to a diagnosis of PTSD for the actor. PTSD is a spectrum, and while we do not know every single symptom which resulted in this diagnosis, it is known that the disorder can lead to one feeling extremely on guard and on edge when reminded of the traumatic event. Considering it may be overly complex for the individual with this psychiatric illness to keep a rein in their negative emotions when confronted with such reminders, Baldwin still keeps his tone in check, even if his words could have, ideally, been less combative.

Evidence that came out during the Gutierrez trial painfully showed that, as a lead producer in the film and someone with a hand on the steering wheel of the production process, Baldwin lacked professionalism, judiciousness, and respect for the lower-ranking (which is nearly everyone on set) members of the film crew. His insistence on doing things his own arguably hazardous way – considering the props and effects the Western required – deserved severe scrutiny.

If, in this video, Baldwin was bulldozing his way through on-set safety rules in yet another movie, perhaps throwing the bucket of cold water by stating that Halyna “is looking down” – as a reminder of what may happen when there’s a lack of communication and oversight – could be warranted. In this case, it’s not as black and white.