The since-deleted tweet read, “The Bahamas, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas … may all be in our prayers now. Millions of us seeing Dorian turn away from land is not a wacky idea; it is a creative use of the power of the mind. The two minutes of prayer, visualization, meditation for those in the way of the storm.”
Less than two hours after the tweet was shared to Williamson’s millions of followers, it was taken down and ultimately replaced with a tweet that called for individuals to pray for the residents of the Bahamas, Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina.
However, despite Williamson’s cleanup efforts, the damage was already done, and netizens were coming in hard with their pitchforks.
In a statement to the Hill, Williamson’s campaign explained that the tweet had been replaced because it was stirring up some confusion among readers. “It was a metaphor. When others speak of prayer and the mind, it’s considered profound, but Williamson is held to a different standard. … Because the comment led to confusion it was replaced,” a spokesperson wrote.
Williamson is presently just one of 20 Democratic candidates running for the 2020 presidential election.
Hurricane Dorian tore through the Bahamas on Sunday as a Category 5 storm, killing at least seven individuals. Dozens of people have been reported missing, and thousands of homes and commercial buildings were destroyed. Dorian - since downgraded to a Category 2 storm - is currently about 100 miles off Florida’s northeastern coastline, according to the US National Hurricane Center.