Country star’s wife slams ‘idiot Trump’ after husband dies from virus ‘on his watch'
Tuesday night's presidential debate was baffling and frustrating for many viewers, as Donald Trump shouted over Democratic challenger Joe Biden, and both men chased each other down rabbit hole after rabbit hole.
For Fiona Whelan Prine, the wife of beloved country and folk musician, singer and songwriter John Prine who died in April due to the coronavirus, watching Mr Trump boast about his leadership during the pandemic was more than she could bear.
"Can someone get that f****** idiot off the stage. My husband died on his watch," Ms Prine wrote on Twitter.
Mr Prine was in intensive care for 13 days before ultimately succumbing to the virus. He was 73-years-old.
During the debate, Mr Trump made numerous claims regarding the virus, and at one point insisted that there were no negative consequences to his in-person, indoor rallies.
That statement was incorrect, as several of his staff, including Secret Service members, tested positive for Covid-19 while they worked to put together Mr Trump's ill-fated rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain attended the rally and died about a month later from complications related to the coronavirus. He was photographed at the rally sitting with other supporters and not wearing a mask. It is unclear exactly where Mr Cain contracted the virus.
Ms Prine also contracted Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Since her bout with the virus, Ms Prine has been a vocal advocate for vote-by-mail expansion in Tennessee.
Rolling Stone reported that in June, Ms Prine testified before lawmakers in the state to support an amendment that would allow all voters in the state to vote using absentee ballots.
The amendment was voted down, prompting Ms Prine to issue a statement calling for supporters to take action and let their representatives know their concerns.
“We’re certainly not asking for much,” she wrote. “All we’re asking for is an opportunity to apply for an absentee ballot based on the fear of contracting Covid-19 at the polls this November — the same opportunity that 45 other states have already granted their citizens. Without a vaccine, this deadly virus is not contained, and Tennesseans should not have to fear for their lives simply to exercise their constitutional right to vote. This is yet another example of the ‘system’ failing us.”
Ms Prine insisted her concerns were not rooted in politics, but in the deadly consequences of the coronavirus.
“As I reminded lawmakers earlier this week, this is NOT a partisan issue. The virus doesn’t care about politics. This is a serious health concern and we must fight to make our voices heard,” she wrote.
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