John Prine's widow to Trump: COVID has "broken my heart and changed my family forever"
The devastating loss of John Prine to coronavirus complications back in April continues to haunt us. He was 73 when he passed away, a year younger than President Donald Trump, who has been downplaying the severity of the virus after contracting it, claiming he feels “better than I did 20 years ago!” after receiving treatment (and, reportedly, steroids) at Walter Reed Medical Center. With over 200,000 people dead from COVID-19 in the US alone, it’s mind-boggling to see Trump tweet, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Those words ring false to all of us who have been taking the pandemic seriously for months, but they are particularly devastating to those who have lost loved ones to the virus, including John Prine’s widow, Fiona Whelan Prine. She took to Twitter to share her dismay with Trump’s irresponsibility and lack of empathy, commenting first on his impromptu hospital stay car ride. “I wish I could just have visited with @JohnPrineMusic in the hospital while he was still awake – we would not have needed a joy ride,” she wrote. “This BS is excruciating to witness and so disrespectful to the 207,000 grieving families.”
I wish I could just have visited with @JohnPrineMusic in the hospital while he was still awake – we would not have needed a joy ride. This BS is excruciating to witness and so disrespectful to the 207,000 grieving families.
— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 4, 2020
“Forgive me,” she continued, “the latest reported deaths from Covid-19 is close to 210,000 Americans.”
Forgive me – the latest reported deaths from Covid-19 is close to 210,000 Americans.
— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 4, 2020
Responding to Trump’s all-caps tweet storm, Fiona wrote, “You forgot some important words @realDonaldTrump TRUTH. COMPETENCE. INTEGRITY. I’M SORRY. VOTE @JoeBiden #Democrats”
You forgot some important words @realDonaldTrump TRUTH. COMPETENCE. INTEGRITY. I’M SORRY.
VOTE @JoeBiden #Democrats https://t.co/Bjj9f1gXUU— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 5, 2020
She responded next to Trump telling people not to be afraid of COVID-19. “You are wrong again @realDonaldTrump,” she wrote. “I am very afraid of Covid-19. The disease has broken my heart and changed my family forever. It has killed 210,000 Americans. You are a sad selfish man. We deserve so much better.”
You are wrong again @realDonaldTrump I am very afraid of Covid-19. The disease has broken my heart and changed my family forever. It has killed 210,000 Americans. You are a sad selfish man. We deserve so much better.
— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 5, 2020
She continued, “Trump: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Me: Covid-19 is terrifying. It devastated my life.”
Trump: “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life.” Me: Covid-19 is terrifying. It devastated my life.
— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 5, 2020
Fiona also tweeted at CNN anchor Jake Tapper, writing, “thank you for recognizing how difficult this debacle is for me and the other 210,012 families who have lost precious loved ones. I have re-lived @JohnPrineMusic last days over and over again while watching Trumps self serving antics.”
@jaketapper thank you for recognizing how difficult this debacle is for me and the other 210,012 families who have lost precious loved ones. I have re-lived @JohnPrineMusic last days over and over again while watching Trumps self serving antics.
— Fiona Whelan Prine (@FionaPrine) October 5, 2020
Fiona’s tweets come as Twitter and Facebook have, not for the first time, flagged a post from Trump as “misleading and potentially harmful.” As CNN reports, reports, the flagged post falsely claimed that the seasonal flu is more deadly than coronavirus. (No, this was not a tweet from March. Yes, it was an actual new tweet he tweeted in October, 2020.)
Meanwhile, Fiona discusses the loss of her husband, as well as her philanthropic work, on a recent episode of Nashville Lifestyles: The Podcast; stream it below.
