As Twitchy told you, late last month, conservative commentator and Federalist writer Bre Payton passed away after contracting the H1N1 flu. She was only 26 years old.
While many out there mourned the loss of such a promising young life, there was also a particularly vile group of people who thought it far better to mock Payton’s death by shaming her for an anti-vaccine position she didn’t actually hold. One member of the latter group was Alfons López Tena, a self-described “jurist” and journalist. He tweeted this late last week:
Bre Payton, US conservative news writer, campaigned against vaccines.
She has just died at 26 in hospital, where she was found to be suffering from H1N1 flu and meningitis, both preventable diseases using vaccines.https://t.co/lbff7bVbpM— Alfons López Tena #FBPE (@alfonslopeztena) January 4, 2019
And he’s been rightly called out over it:
For anyone claiming to be concerned with attacks on journalists and fake news, here’s a fake news attack on a dead journalist. https://t.co/j2in2Y5HUo
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) January 7, 2019
This is a blatant lie being spread through Spanish language media – and particularly shamefully, by CNN Chile. https://t.co/0SYCZxchbp
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) January 7, 2019
The idea that a lone sarcastic Tweet posted when you were a teenager could be used by international media organizations to smear you with fake news is the new reality.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) January 7, 2019
In over 1,000 articles written at The Federalist, Bre never "campaigned against vaccines". We are also told she got her flu shot this year. Doesn't matter to the media – here's a sarcastic tweet we can misinterpret!
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) January 7, 2019
Bre was NOT anti-vaccine. She made a joke about anti-vaxxers once on Twitter. She reportedly got a flu vaccine, but contracted encephalitis, a rare and deadly complication of H1N1.
Vaccines are important, but you don’t need to smear an innocent woman to make that point. https://t.co/rUUsySl2Ow
— Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) January 7, 2019
She did no such campaigning. She made one joke about it in one tweet, and you're insulting the memory of a woman who tragically died young
— Joe DeVito (@JoeDeVitoComedy) January 7, 2019
You’re lying, she didn’t campaign against vaccines, dummy.
— L. Ron Buttload (@MetricButtload) January 7, 2019
Delete this excrement.
— Dr. Kankokage (@kankokage) January 7, 2019
It's shameful to lie so blatantly, wantonly, and cruelly about someone, particularly right after they've died. you should delete this tweet and post a retraction.
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) January 7, 2019
You are disgusting
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) January 7, 2019
She was pro-vaccine, was mocking the anti-vaxxers, and had received her flu shot before getting H1N1. Please stop lying about her.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) January 7, 2019
That would’ve been the good and decent thing to do: Stop lying, issue a retraction, and apologize. Instead, López Tena did this:
Anti-Vaxxer and news commentator Bre Payton died likely from swine flu https://t.co/h0Ot1G9vU4
— Alfons López Tena #FBPE (@alfonslopeztena) January 7, 2019
Unreal.
What the hell is wrong with you?
— Mac McClung Fan Account (@LPDonovan) January 7, 2019
It’s pretty clear what’s wrong with him: He’s a morally bankrupt cockroach with no sense of honor or decency.
This is a lie, and you should know it by now.
— Kyle Sammin (@KyleSammin) January 7, 2019
He knows it. He just doesn’t care.
You are lying.
— JJ (@jjbarnhart) January 7, 2019
What exactly is your reason for blatantly lying? Is this what political discourse has come to? Please, do better.
— Savannah Lindquist (@SavannahMaeSays) January 7, 2019
This is a fabrication. Shame on you for continuing to post a complete lie.
— Cooper's mom (@rwgranny) January 7, 2019
Digging a deeper hole regarding your lies is not a good look for you.
— Nina Bookout (@NDBook96) January 7, 2019
Imagine being so wantonly ghoulish that you take an obviously sarcastic tweet written by someone when they were a teenager and use it to attack them after they’re deceased. Then when you’re called out on it by hundreds of people, you double down. This legit makes my blood boil.
— Corie Whalen (@CorieWhalen) January 7, 2019
You. Are. Lying. She was not an anti-vaxxer. She’s not here to defend herself so stop lying about her. It’s disgusting. https://t.co/3hyyB389ge
— Some chick named Heather (@hboulware) January 7, 2019
I understand how untruths born of bias spread in echo chambers. But if you double down once you’re called out, ignorance is no defense. This is a wanton attempt to smear a deceased young woman. It’s disgusting and he should be held accountable.
— Corie Whalen (@CorieWhalen) January 7, 2019
He knows it’s not true. Has been shown it isn’t true and he reposts it again. I think it’s fair to assume that nothing he’s ever published or reported is legitimate https://t.co/uhFVC8t47P
— Ben (@BenK84) January 7, 2019
You. Liar. You vile liar. And I saw you liking my tweet about how you are defaming a dead woman so this is now a knowing lie. But hey that mouthy conservative woman deserved to die, right? You pathetic excuse for a human being. https://t.co/oCo9zKUyeS
— alexandriabrown (@alexthechick) January 7, 2019
You’re going to Hell
— [Drew King] (@DrewK30) January 7, 2019
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