On Thursday, July 30, former Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain passed away due to complications related to the virus.
Shortly afterward, ardent Trump supporter and Congressional candidate Angela Stanton King caused a controversy when she implied online that Cain's death wasn't accidental.
King wrote on Twitter that while Democrats and celebrities all recover from the virus, Cain (a Republican) died.
Therefore, they must be behind his death.
All the celebrities and Democrats catch COVID and magically heal. But Herman Cain is dead! I swear I hate it here.… https://t.co/9MGDrQ2q80— Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸 (@Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸) 1596120156.0
King later doubled down.
She claimed Cain couldn't have contracted the virus when he attended President Trump's Tulsa rally because "White folks" are less likely to spread it.
About as stupid as y’all saying Covid 19 disproportionately impacts black ppl but Herman Cain caught it around a bu… https://t.co/0rhfHtT8MO— Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸 (@Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸) 1596122027.0
Though Black Americans are at higher risk of catching the virus for mainly socio-economic reasons, scientific studies show "there is no scientific evidence that White people are less likely to catch the disease and pass it on to others."
@theangiestanton “Got it around a bunch of white folks” https://t.co/g0WoUeEpaB— Nick !!WEAR A MASK!! C 😷♍️🇮🇹🇺🇸🎸 (@Nick !!WEAR A MASK!! C 😷♍️🇮🇹🇺🇸🎸) 1596127308.0
Of course, Twitter was quick to point out that 80-year-old Cain's death was not the result of a Democratic conspiracy, but likely due to complications from his recent cancer.
@theangiestanton He had recently recovered from cancer and decided to put himself at risk— T Emmanuel Fakeye🇳🇬 (@T Emmanuel Fakeye🇳🇬) 1596120275.0
@theangiestanton Herman Cain had stage 4 cancer. He had a compromised immune system. Celebrities & Democrats have… https://t.co/v0JPJq0cKS— JUST LIZ (Wear The Damn Mask) (@JUST LIZ (Wear The Damn Mask)) 1596120727.0
Many others found King's fondness for easily disproven conspiracy theories amusing.
She was charged and convicted of felony conspiracy before being pardoned by President Trump in February.
@theangiestanton OMG! Just looked you up! You’re a felon! https://t.co/4R2f3wqzgK— GOTV 2020 to save us from the @gop 🏳️🌈 (@GOTV 2020 to save us from the @gop 🏳️🌈) 1596134556.0
After using Cain's death to make an attack on Democrats, King then accused Democrats of using Cain's death as a political statement.
Sadly Herman Cain’s death will be a political statement for the Democrats— Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸 (@Angela Stanton King 🇺🇸) 1596122370.0
@theangiestanton And who also is politicizing it?— Antifa SSGT Rick Havoc (@Antifa SSGT Rick Havoc) 1596135157.0
Ultimately, most people only hoped no one would count on King for any factual information.
Of what? I say let Republicans not wear Masks and gather in public bars and grills. That political statement would… https://t.co/GQgACeDL0E— TheInventorGreat (@TheInventorGreat) 1596160077.0
@theangiestanton You sound really uninformed. You might want to take this down. If I could report it for misinforma… https://t.co/AgF9MIudBT— Virginia Bourne (@Virginia Bourne) 1596122040.0
I oppose convicted felons pardoned by @realDonaldTrump running for a great man's seat. I'm sure you will lose,… https://t.co/uAQ2su6k2l— John Brown (@John Brown) 1596152047.0
The real moral of the story?
Wear your masks.
@theangiestanton Imagine if you had all just worn masks as the medical experts recommend. You could have social dis… https://t.co/NYif1ALrD0— 🏳️🌈NastyNEGirl 🏳️🌈 (@🏳️🌈NastyNEGirl 🏳️🌈) 1596147571.0
Democrats aren't to blame for Herman Cain's death.
They're the ones urging everyone to be safe.
The global pandemic is not a partisan issue.
Safety should be everyone's first priority, and many needless deaths will be avoided if people on both sides of the aisle take proper precautions.