The GOP cannot seem to stay out of their own way on issues of racial justice. Swearing out of one side of their mouths that Republican leaders are not racist and are the party of Lincoln, they’ll then call the Black Lives Matter movement a form of terrorism and limit the rights of black Americans to vote.
On Saturday, Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted his condolences and grieving, saying that it was an honor to have served in Congress with him. However, no one knows if Rubio is thanking John Lewis for being an American hero…or Elijah Cummings.
Steve Schmidt, former Republican and strategist for the John McCain campaign, quickly retweet Rubio’s message with one of his own for Sen. Rubio.
‘That is Elijah Cummings. Pathetic. John Lewis was a courageous and fearless man. You are a coward and an enabler of the first order for America’s despicable and lawless President. John Lewis stared death in the face and didn’t flinch. You are terrified of Trumps mean tweets.’
That is Elijah Cummings. Pathetic. John Lewis was a courageous and fearless man. You are a coward and an enabler of the first order for America’s despicable and lawless President. John Lewis stared death in the face and didn’t flinch. You are terrified of Trumps mean tweets. https://t.co/YcF1fXwAJ0
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) July 18, 2020
Rubio is, of course, not the only person to confuse one black American with another, as it has long been the standard of white Americans to see themselves as unique and different and black people as all the same. His failure to recognize the difference between two black men he actually worked with, people he saw every time he went to work, is just further proof that people who are not black still carry that belief with them.
Twitter was critical of Rubio’s mistake, as well. Read some of their comments below:
