Top RI Democratic Strategist in 2020 Tweeted She Hoped Republicans Would Die

Top RI Democratic Strategist in 2020 Tweeted She Hoped Republicans Would Die

Embroiled top Rhode Island Democratic strategist Kate Coyne McCoy has said that she hoped members of the Republican party would die before. 

On Monday, Coyne McCoy came under fire after she Tweeted, “It’s wrong to hope he dies from COVID, right? Asking for a friend” — about Republican United States Senator Lindsay Graham, who was recently diagnosed with coronavirus.

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While she issued an apology, a Tweet from 2020 showed she has expressed similar sentiments in the past. 

In a Tweet in March 2020 showing former President Donald Trump and members of the Republican party in the oval office, former White House communications director Joe Lockhart, who served under President Bill Clinton, Tweeted that the picture "screams that you don't have to be serious about social distancing."

"I am not proud of my gut reaction which is, I hope they all die," she Tweeted in reply. 

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Earlier on Tuesday, Democratic Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi defended Coyne-McCoy -- who is a top paid political consultant to the state Democratic party -- following this week's Tweet. 

"Kate Coyne-McCoy’s tweet from her personal account was offensive and it does not reflect my views or those of the Rhode Island Democratic Party," said Shekarchi. "I have spoken to her and she is extremely remorseful, and I’m pleased she apologized.” 

Shekarchi's office did not respond to request for comment on the Tweet from 2020 at time of publication.