Journalist Glenn Greenwald slammed people on Twitter who were engaging on Wednesday in what he described as “smug football-spiking glee” in response to Rep.-elect Luke Letlow’s (R-LA) death from COVID-19.
Greenwald was responding to a tweet from Daily Beast editor Molly Jong-Fast, who posted a video of Letlow urging the economy to reopen in October. “He died of coronavirus yesterday at 41 years old,” she said simply in response to the video.
“The smug football-spiking glee over Luke Letlow’s death at 41 is one of the most repulsive things I’ve seen on this site,” Greenwald wrote. “Celebrating death is repugnant in all cases but he wasn’t a COVID denier. Urging that the costs of isolation & economic ruin be considered isn’t denialism[.]”
The smug football-spiking glee over Luke Letlow's death at 41 is one of the most repulsive things I've seen on this site.
Celebrating death is repugnant in all cases but he wasn't a COVID denier. Urging that the costs of isolation & economic ruin be considered isn't denialism: https://t.co/mHKUZh7DjU
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
“Many deaths are caused by careless choices: people don’t eat well; they don’t exercise; they smoke, drink or take drugs; they don’t have safe sex; they drive when tired. But we still mourn their deaths as tragic, not giggle that they got what they deserved — except sociopaths,” Greenwald continued.
Many deaths are caused by careless choices: people don't eat well; they don't exercise; they smoke, drink or take drugs; they don't have safe sex; they drive when tired.
But we still mourn their deaths as tragic, not giggle that they got what they deserved — except sociopaths. pic.twitter.com/U8icV2KSlE
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
Greenwald went on to offer the example of Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), who tested positive for COVID-19 after rallying for Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in Atlanta. “Do you think that’s karmic justice, that if he dies it’s just [desserts]?” he asked.
“Basic human decency isn’t that hard,” Greenwald added.
Basic human decency isn't that hard:https://t.co/yxVCEBww4s
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
Greenwald was met with pushback, including from Fast, who said, “Personally as someone who is 42, the idea of dying at 41 really scares me. This is not about dunking this about fear.”
Personally as someone who is 42, the idea of dying at 41 really scares me. This is not about dunking this about fear. https://t.co/fk7WVHrxlt
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) December 30, 2020
Responding to a user who called his death “a lesson for people not taking the virus seriously,” Greenwald maintained Letlow did take it seriously and often wore masks.
He encouraged people to take the virus seriously, and often wore masks:https://t.co/AzNYIBI3Xn
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
Replies to Fast’s initial tweet were replete with mean-spirited condemnation toward Letlow, which Greenwald drew upon to make his point to political scientist Ian Bremmer that Fast’s followers understood her implication “perfectly well.”
“Read the comments underneath the tweet,” he urged. “Her message was clear: she chose a video where he said that economic shutdown is causing great harm to imply he was a COVID denier. Same here – their followers all got the message loud and clear[.]” He also linked to a similar tweet from Vox journalist Aaron Rupar.
Read the comments underneath the tweet. Her message was clear: she chose a video where he said that economic shutdown is causing great harm to imply he was a COVID denier. Same here – their followers all got the message loud and clear:https://t.co/Nm5luEyPNu
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
“I’m not cherry-picking: here are the first five responses,” Greenwald said. “Most are like this or worse. Same with Aaron’s tweets. Everyone knows the point conveyed[.]” The tweets he featured included sentiments such as “Natural selection. He literally murdered himself,” “This guy literally drank the Kool Aid and died,” and “It appears he didn’t take COVID seriously and it had the last laugh!”
No, I mean the comments to her tweet, virtually all of which understood perfectly well what she conveyed. I'm not cherry-picking: here are the first five responses. Most are like this or worse. Same with Aaron's tweets. Everyone knows the point conveyed: pic.twitter.com/u34lQWLWQI
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020
“People do a lot for re-tweets and social media attention. It’s like crack. And it’s even worse when one’s brain sits in a partisan oven all day. I don’t exempt myself. Twitter fosters the worst in human nature. People got the exact message she (and Aaron) purposely conveyed,” Greenwald added.
People do a lot for re-tweets and social media attention. It's like crack. And it's even worse when one's brain sits in a partisan oven all day. I don't exempt myself. Twitter fosters the worst in human nature. People got the exact message she (and Aaron) purposely conveyed.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 30, 2020