Rasida Tlaib backpedaled after sharing a post by Parkland survivor and anti-gun activist David Hogg dismissing President Trump’s National Day of Prayer announcement over the coronavirus crisis.
Last weekend, President Trump declared Sunday a National Day of Prayer, saying: “It is my great honor to declare Sunday, March 15th as a National Day of Prayer. We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these.”
….No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020
“No matter where you may be,” Trump continued, “I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!”
The tweets gathered over 500,000 likes and were shared more than 120,000 times. Parkland shooting survivor-turned anti-gun activist David Hogg, however, was unimpressed.
Don’t let this administration address COVID-19 like our national gun violence epidemic. Fuck a National day of prayer, we need immediate comprehensive action.
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) March 15, 2020
“Don’t let this administration address COVID-19 like our national gun violence epidemic,” Hogg tweeted on Saturday. “Fuck a National day of prayer, we need immediate comprehensive action.” Michigan Democrat Representative Rashida Tlaib shared Hogg’s words with her nearly one million followers, presented without further comment.
The internet, however, had comments aplenty. And by Monday evening, Tlaib was backpedaling hard. “Let me be clear as someone who has been praying through this all & as someone who attended the National Prayer Breakfast,” Tlaib wrote. “My retweet was not to be an attack on prayer. It was to bring attention to the need for meaningful action to combat this public health crisis.”
We need:
➡️ Economic stimulus for individuals, families and our local communities.
➡️ Testing access for all.
➡️ Expanded paid sick leave and unemployment benefits.
➡️ Moratorium on water shutoffs, mortgage/rent payments and evictions.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) March 16, 2020
She followed it with a largely non-controversial list of public needs during the novel coronavirus pandemic, advocating: “…Economic stimulus for individuals, families, and our local communities. Testing access for all. Expanded paid sick leave and unemployment benefits. Moratorium on water shutoffs, mortgage/rent payments, and evictions.”
At the time of this writing, Tlaib’s indirect mea culpa was shared approximately 500 times, with approximately 4,000 likes. There is currently no word on whether she is praying about it, and Hogg has not commented.
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