NC Democratic candidate’s video on Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis prompts outcry

Jenna Wadsworth, the Democratic candidate for state Agriculture Commissioner, posted and then deleted a video of herself that appeared to celebrate President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis.

In the TikTok video, Wadsworth asked viewers, “On a scale of one to 10, is this your favorite or most favorite October surprise in the history of electoral politics?” The video appeared to be posted on Twitter at 3:05 a.m. Friday, after Trump tweeted his positive test result at 12:54 a.m.

In tweeting the video, Wadsworth wrote: “Got that big OCTOBER SURPRISE energy up in here tonight!,” followed by several hashtags, including #TrumpHasCovid and #VoteHimOut.

Wadsworth is a Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor. She is challenging incumbent Republican Steve Troxler, who is seeking a fifth term as agriculture commissioner.

After she deleted the video, Wadsworth wrote on Twitter that she would not allow her “words to be twisted.”

“I would never wish harm on anyone with this illness,” she wrote. “I do want people to wear their masks & take the virus seriously — which is what I’ve been saying since day 1. I hope anyone contracting COVID recovers & is free of any long-term effects.”

In an interview, Troxler said he is praying for the Trumps’ recovery and that Wadsworth’s video may cost her votes.

The video displays “youth and inexperience, and it also shows a character flaw,” Troxler said.

“I do think it’s deplorable that somebody would do something like that,” he said. “As a Christian, the hardest part of the Christian faith is love thine enemy and that’s really hard. I do wish she would go to church and that God would change her heart.”

In an emailed statement, Wadsworth expanded on her tweeted explanation, saying she was talking about Trump contracting COVID-19 as an October surprise and would never wish harm on him or anyone with the illness.

“My commentary was on the irony of the President contracting the virus after not taking it seriously enough,” she wrote. “Nothing changes the fact that more than 200,000 people have died because of his administration’s lacking response.”

The video drew swift condemnation from Republicans. Brent Woodcox, a Republican attorney who works at the state legislature, called it “utterly disgusting and should be disqualifying or any statewide candidate.”

On his campaign Twitter feed, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said the video was “beyond disgusting and deserves universal condemnation. No one should be rooting for the physical demise of President Trump or any other fellow human being.”

Wadsworth’s statement said Republicans should have done more to respond to people hurting in the pandemic.

“I find it deeply hypocritical that Senator Tillis was so quick to condemn me, especially when he had the power to mitigate the spread of the virus and the devastating loss that comes with it,” she wrote.

Wadsworth also said Troxler should not question her faith, values or experience. She then criticized him for a September letter he signed that said all agricultural workers, including those on Christmas tree farms, are critical infrastructure workers, who under U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines can work after potential coronavirus exposures if they are asymptomatic.

On Twitter, singer and former Democratic candidate for Congress Clay Aiken said he would still vote for Wadsworth but said she should apologize. It wasn’t just Republicans who condemned her video, he wrote.

“There are plenty of my fellow Democrats who think this was uncalled for and immature!” Aiken wrote. Wadsworth “should do more than accuse the ‘other side’ of twisting her words. Own up to a lapse in judgement and promise to do better.”

In an emailed statement Friday afternoon, a N.C. Democratic Party spokesperson said the video was inappropriate.

“The sentiments in the video were not appropriate, and we’re pleased it has been taken down,” the statement said. “We join Vice President Biden in sending our best wishes to the Trump family for a quick recovery.”

The presidential election and the U.S. Senate race are drawing most of the attention from voters and pollsters in North Carolina. One poll by Civitas Institute conducted Aug. 6 - 10 put support for Troxler at 42% and for Wadsworth at 34%, with 24% undecided.

This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 12:50 PM with the headline "NC Democratic candidate’s video on Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis prompts outcry."