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Charles Evers death: Trump quick to mourn friend's loss after he almost forgot critic John Lewis' death

Both legendary civil rights leaders died inside a week but the president's response was very different in the two instances
UPDATED JUL 23, 2020
(Wikimedia/Getty Images)
(Wikimedia/Getty Images)

Less than a week after the death of iconic civil rights leader John Lewis, another giant in the field bid adieu on Wednesday, July 22. James Charles Evers, the elder brother of iconic civil rights activist Medgar Evers, was no less significant a figure in his own right. Evers was 97 and died at his home in Jackson, Mississippi. He died of “natural causes”, Rankin County Coroner David Ruth told The Associated Press. His family was with him in his final moments.

Condolences poured in from various quarters over Evers' death, including from President Donald Trump. However, the president's quick reaction to the death of one of his allies came in stark contrast with the delayed response he came up with after Lewis's death on July 17. Lewis, who died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 80, was one of Trump's most vocal critics.

On July 22, the president tweeted saying he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Evers. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Charles Evers. Charles was a trailblazer in politics and a fearless leader, alongside his brother Medgar, for Civil Rights,” he tweeted with a photo showing himself meeting Evers in the Oval Office.

Evers, who was born in Decatur in Mississippi on September 11, 1922, was considered one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. He became the NAACP’s state voter registration chairman in 1954 and after the assassination of his brother in 1963, he started donning leadership roles and driving to get Black voters registered. A former Democrat and Independent who became a Republican in 1978 and remained so till his death, Evers was elected as the mayor of Fayette in 1969 and became the first Black mayor in the state of Mississippi.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves tweeted mourning Evers’ death saying: “Rest In Peace, Charles Evers. He was a civil rights leader and a true friend to me and so many Mississippians. His memory will always be cherished and honored.” Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker called the late leader as “an absolute classic” and doubted if the world would see another leader like him again. “As an elected official he navigated the circuitous route from Freedom Democrat to Independent to Republican, even serving as a Trump elector in 2016. He used his powerful personality and platform to change Mississippi for the better,” Wicker added, according to a CNN report.

Evers, who served with his late brother in the army during World War II, ran several businesses in Mississippi and Chicago. He endorsed Ronald Reagan for president in 1980 and became a delegate in the Republican National Convention in 1996. He backed Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections and after the 2016 poll, he cast one of Mississippi’s six electoral votes in favor of President Donald Trump. He called himself an “Independent Republican” and a lifelong supporter of Trump.

“He’s a multimillionaire. I like rich folks. Can’t nobody buy him,” Evers famously said. 

Trump's 'mourning tweet' came a day after Lewis' death

Trump’s response was delayed after Lewis, also an iconic civil rights movement leader, died last Friday, July 17. Even as condolences poured in from both parties after the Democratic Congressman from Georgia died, the White House waited till Saturday, July 18 morning to react. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted then, saying: “Rep John Lewis was an icon of the civil rights movement, and he leaves an enduring legacy that will never be forgotten. We hold his family in our prayers, as we remember Rep John Lewis’ incredible contributions to our country.”

Trump did not acknowledge Lewis’ death till 2 pm. He sent out dozens of tweets and retweeted posts about his Democratic opponents and played golf in Virginia. Finally, about half an hour before his return to the White House, he said in a tweet: “Saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family.” Later in the day, the White House announced that flags would be kept at half-staff for the remaining part of the day in Lewis’ honor.

In his lifetime, Lewis, unlike Evers, was a strong critic of Trump and even considered him a threat to democracy. He did not even see the Republican a legitimate president in the wake of the allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 poll. Trump had hit back at Lewis then saying the veteran lawmaker should focus more on fixing the state of affairs in his own district instead of complaining about the federal election results.

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