Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC, the group’s arm in the state, called on a Democratic Party strategist to resign after she tweeted “hope” that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would die from COVID-19.
BLM rarely supports Republicans, but the group said they felt obligated to weigh in on Kate Coyne-McCoy’s statement and its “disregard for human life.”
Coyne-McCoy tweeted “It’s wrong to hope he dies from COVID, right? Asking for a friend” after Graham announced, earlier this week, that he was suffering from COVID-19, which he contracted despite being vaccinated.
Graham is reportedly doing well, though is suffering some effects from the disease.
“I was just informed by the House physician I have tested positive for #COVID19 even after being vaccinated. I started having flu-like symptoms Saturday night and went to the doctor this morning.” he said in a statement, adding that, “I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms. I will be quarantining for ten days. I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse.”
Coyne-McCoy, who is a “trained mental health professional” and whom The Providence Journal termed “technically a state party consultant” but is “considered the de facto party executive director,” apologized for the tweet, writing, “I made a mistake. I used poor judgement which I obviously regret.”
Black Lives Matter weighed in on Tuesday, calling for Coyne-McCoy’s immediate resignation.
Statement from @blmripac on the @RIDemParty ED:
“Anything short of an immediate resignation, would signal that these types of comments are acceptable within the RI Democratic Party.” https://t.co/mnmTOX7Yzo
— Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) August 3, 2021
“In a time where many human lives have been lost to COVID-19 all across Rhode Island, this comment is extremely distasteful and insensitive. Regardless of political affiliation the disregard for human life is unacceptable and should not be tolerated anywhere within any political party,” the group wrote.
“How can we trust someone with such blatant disregard for human life with the will of RI voters? Anyone affiliated with the Democratic Party should be held to a higher standard, as McCoy was hired to ‘modernize the party and position Democrats to win from the top to the bottom of the ballots,” the group added.
“Anything short of an immediate resignation,” they concluded, “would signal that these types of comments are acceptable within the RI Democractic (sic) Party.”
The group is aligned with Rhode Island’s Republican legislators on the issue. As The Daily Wire reported Tuesday, a number of Republicans in Rhode Island have called on Coyne-McCoy to either resign or be fired.
Rhode Island House GOP Minority Leader Blake Filippi told media Tuesday, “If @rigopchairwoman or any RIGOP official were to say anything like this, I would immediately and publicly demand their resignation. Hoping my Democratic House colleagues do the right thing here.”
Fox News noted, Tuesday, that Graham has been an “advocate for the vaccines and received his jabs in December.” He also told South Carolina medical students that “the sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the quicker we can get back to normal.”