In a series of tweets just ahead of the new year, journalist Kurt Eichenwald said he wanted to find anti-maskers, who he later identified as “f*****g Christians,” and said he wanted to “beat them to death.”
In the hostile tweets, Eichenwald blamed those who refuse to wear a mask for his sister contracting the coronavirus. He also mentions her spouse died with the coronavirus.
“I have so much hate in my heart tonight. My sister, widowed by COVID, has Covid because of antimaskers,” he said on the last day of the year. “About 4,000 died today; GOP says nothing. [Republican Sen. Josh Hawley] & his ilk are working to harm America. I wish them & their loved ones all the pain & misery they inflicted on this country.”
I have so much hate in my heart tonight. My sister, widowed by COVID, has Covid because of antimaskers. About 4,000 died today; GOP says nothing. @HawleyMO & his ilk are working to harm America. I wish them & their loved ones all the pain & misery they inflicted on this country.
— Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 31, 2020
The Daily Wire reports a tweet of Eichenwald’s that included threatening language has since been removed.
“It’s at a moment like this that I want to find an antimasker and beat them to death. Since they believe they have the right to kill others, they have surrendered any right to object. #CategoricalImperative,” he reportedly said the day before, on December 30.
Later, the journalist followed-up with a couple of people who responded to his posts.
Eichenwald was also called out for threatening to kill people when his posts were about the need to preserve life.
If someone is willing to leave the children of innocents without parents, I don’t care if their own kids are orphans. Reap what they sew. It shouldn’t just be the innocent that suffer.
— Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 31, 2020
He then specifically called out and attacked those who believe in God.
“You F***ing ‘Christians’ who preen about God saving you from COVID so you don’t need masks. You’re what Jesus condemns,” Eichenwald tweeted. “You kill with hypocrisy. Read Matthew 25:41-46. If you realize the Bible is about more than hating gays, you’ll realize: For your selfishness, you’ll burn in hell.”
He ultimately issued a correction, clarifying that he was not intending to actually act on his threat.
“No, I’m not planning to kill anyone,” he tweeted. “Just, as the misery descends on our family again, it is hard not to contemplate violence against those who don’t care if they kill.”
..no, I’m not planning to kill anyone. Just, as the misery descends on our family again, it is hard not to contemplate violence against those who don’t care if they kill.
— Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) December 31, 2020