Twitter users piled on to President Trump during Tuesday evening’s debate after he claimed that campaign rallies he held at indoor venues had no “negative” effects associated with the contraction of COVID-19.
The moment came after former Vice President Joe Biden criticized Trump at Tuesday’s presidential debate over his decision to hold some campaign rallies at indoor venues earlier this year, despite warnings from health officials about large gatherings inside amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Trump denied that those at his indoor events suffered negative consequences.
Activists and critics of the president took to Twitter and pointed to the death of former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain in late July after he was diagnosed with coronavirus.
Cain had attended an indoor rally for the president’s reelection campaign in Tulsa, Okla., at the BOK Center.
“Donald Trump is a LIAR!!! He just said that his rallies during a pandemic have had no negative affect on people? Ask Herman Cain how that worked out for him! And that rally was INDOORS! He is the Spreader-in-Chief!” tweeted April Ryan, White House correspondent for Urban Radio Networks and a CNN analyst.
Others including activist Alyssa Milano and actress Aisha Tyler joined in.
“FACT CHECK: Herman Cain died from covid from Trump’s campaign rally,” tweeted Milano.
Allies of the president have denied that Cain’s diagnosis was linked to his attendance at the Tulsa rally.
Trump himself also denied a connection between his rally and Cain’s death a day after the former GOP candidate died, telling reporters at the White House: “No, I don’t think he did [contract COVID-19 at the rally].”