Twitter/Marco Rubio
Senator Marco Rubio posted a photo of the late Elijah Cummings on Twitter while paying tribute to civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis. Rubio made the image his avatar. Shortly afterward, the image and the post was deleted from Rubio’s official Twitter page.
John Lewis died at the age of 80 on July 17, 2020, in Atlanta. He had been battling pancreatic cancer since late 2019. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi referred to Lewis as a “titan of the civil rights movement” who helped to “transform our nation.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell celebrated Lewis by remembering a time when the both sides of the aisle came together in the presence of Lewis to sing a rendition of the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.”
Senator Marco Rubio with John Lewis in Miami on Martin Luther King DaySenator Marco Rubio with John Lewis in Miami on Martin Luther King Day. Rubio comments on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s tweet about Rep. Lewis and Rep. Lewis’ initial controversial statements.2017-01-16T19:35:27Z
Rubio later corrected his mistake and posted a new image showing him with John Lewis. Rubio tweeted:
Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo
John Lewis was a genuine American hero
My God grant him eternal rest.
New York Times opinion writer Wajahat Ali mocked Rubio’s error by tweeting, “Thank you Allah for Marco Rubio’s Twitter fail today. We needed it. I hope the spirits of John Lewis and Elijah Cummings had good chuckles.” Another user posted a photo of Rubio with President Barack Obama while tweeting, “Hey, Marco Rubio, Here’s another great picture of you and John Lewis.”
Comedian Billy Eichner tweeted, “Marco Rubio you are so blatantly stupid, weak and willfully ignorant it is truly painful to watch thank you.”
Rep. John Lewis Mourns Passing of Rep. Elijah CummingsRep. John Lewis (D-GA) speaks on the House Floor about the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) for the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order Tribute October 21, 2019 — TRANSCRIPT — I rise to pay tribute to a close, dear, and beloved friend – almost like a brother – Congressman Elijah Cummings. This great man, this brother, spent 36 years in public service to his people, his home State, and to our country. He was a leader who loved this nation, all of its people, and fought until his very last breath for those who have been left out and left behind. He dedicated every single moment of his life to strengthening and preserving our union. He spent every waking moment thinking of those who were hurting and suffering. He focused all of his energy into this Congress and the people we represent. I tell you, it was an honor to know and to love him. It was an honor to serve with him. It was a great honor to consider him my brother and my friend. Sometimes people would confuse us and say, “Hello Elijah” or “Hello John Lewis” to him, and we would joke about it, and we would laugh about it. And I will tell people in Maryland and people around our nation and around the world that we have lost a warrior. I don’t think we will be so lucky or so blessed to know to see the likeness of this man again. As a nation, as a people, we owe Chairman Cummings a debt, a debt of gratitude. There are no words to describe the loss of our brother, our friend, and our colleague, who lived up to his great and powerful name. It hurts so deeply that all I can do is keep his wife, his family, and all who knew and loved him in my constant prayers. Elijah, we hope to see you again one day. Blessed be your name. I yield back.2019-10-22T15:47:34Z
Elijah Cummings died in October 2019 at the age of 68. A statement from his family said that Cummings died after suffering from “complications concerning longstanding health challenges.” Following his death, it was John Lewis who led the tributes to his colleague from the House floor. Lewis said in a statement regarding Cummings’ passing, “Chairman Elijah Cummings gave all he had. He dedicated his entire life to serving the public good. When this nation needed him most, he became a moral voice “crying in the wilderness,” and his words and actions called a reluctant nation to conscience.”
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) June 13, 2019
In December 2019, CBS Evening News broadcasted a photo of Elijah Cummings while discussing Lewis’ cancer diagnosis. Fox News made a similar mistake in June 2019 during a broadcast. Anchor Eric Shawn quickly apologized for the error, according to The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast article points out that the video showing Lewis that was aired included his nameplate showing his name.
Lewis joked about how often he was mistaken for Cummings in an April 2019 press release titled, “Rep. John Lewis Announces Plan to Grow a Beard.” The press release quoted Lewis as saying that a woman had recently come up to him at church to say, “Hi, Mr. Cummings! I vote for you all the time.” Lewis said that he responded by saying, “I just said thank you. What else could I say? That’s when I decided, I should just grow a beard.”
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