Online Fury as Fox News Host Tweets Powell Death Fuels 'New Concerns' About COVID Vax Efficacy

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell died on 18 October due to complications from COVID-19. Although he was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, his immune system was apparently compromised by his protracted battle with blood cancer.

Netizens have hit out at Fox News host John Roberts over his now-deleted tweet, which apparently questioned the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in light of the death of ex-US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In a Monday post, Roberts argued that "the fact that Colin Powell died from a breakthrough COVID infection raises new concerns about how effective vaccines are long-term".

Fox News reporter John Roberts waits for the arrival of White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders to speak before a briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC on January 28, 2019

© AFP 2023 / MANDEL NGAN

Twitter users were immediately there, accusing the Fox News anchor of misinformation and recalling Powell's protracted fight with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells, something that most likely compromised his immune system.

"Stop pushing misinformation!", one netizen wrote, while another user slammed Roberts' tweet as "criminal gaslighting".

According to a separate tweet, "Colin Powell had literally every susceptibility. This has nothing to do with the vaccine. Not at all".

Colin Powell had literally every susceptibility. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VACCINE. Not at all.

— rspecial (@rspecial2) October 19, 2021

John Roberts is pic.twitter.com/0gjGDvC2Zo

— Rob (@Robert17171227) October 18, 2021

It is criminal gaslighting. #Criminal

— Abby Rosenberg (@AHRose5) October 18, 2021

No, it does not raise new concerns, @johnrobertsFox! He had multiple myeloma and other underlying conditions. No vaccine is 100% effective. Stop pushing misinformation! STOP! Just STOP!

— SueAnn (@SueAnn32185181) October 18, 2021

I am very sad about Gen. Powell’s passing;I really respected him. But all of this discussion about him dying of Covid - and NOT mentioning that he was undergoing treatment for Multiple Myeloma - is terrifically misleading. He was definitely immunocompromised.Facts matter.

— Gwen Hargrove (@mogremom) October 18, 2021

I'd like to know why Fox is able to broadcast deadly misinformation in the first place. That should be against the law, I think.

— TriXteR Phillips (@TriXteRPhillips) October 18, 2021

Fox News anchor John Roberts has deleted a tweet in which he claimed Colin Powell's death raised "new concerns about how effective vaccines are long-term."
Question: Why is Fox not being sued for lethal Covid misinformation?

— Duty To Warn 🔉 (@duty2warn) October 18, 2021

Good morning to everyone except Fox News anchor John Roberts who is using Colin Powell's cancer-related death to push vaccine misinformation. pic.twitter.com/WUzogVVlbP

— Gabe Sanchez (@iamgabesanchez) October 18, 2021

Colin Powell had literally every susceptibility. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE VACCINE. Not at all.

— rspecial (@rspecial2) October 19, 2021

Don’t listen to this spreader of misinformation….

— Venezia (@Venezia1970) October 18, 2021

Roberts has, meanwhile, posted a series of fresh tweets to explain that he deleted his post about "the tragic death of Colin Powell because many people interpreted it as anti-vax. It was not".

"I was excited to get vaccinated, hoping it would help speed a return to 'normal life'. […] Yes, Powell had myeloma, but I was still stunned to hear of his passing from COVID", the Fox News host added.

Users, however, remained sceptical about Roberts' remarks, with one netizen tweeting that "many people interpreted it as anti-vax because your tweet was designed to be anti-vax".

"You didn't misspeak, there was a pretty deliberate and clear narrative your tweet asserted. Your explanation is unsatisfactory and you should feel bad", the netizen underscored.