Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of conservative leaders have used social media to push conspiracy theories about vaccines, masks, and the coronavirus itself. But if the past 17 months have taught me anything, it's that the universe won't hesitate to implement a little irony into any situation. This week, a Texas Republican leader who often posted conspiracies online died from COVID-19, a few days after sharing his last Facebook post — a screenshot of a tweet that casted doubt on vaccine effectiveness.
On Aug. 1, Dickinson City Council member and State Republican Executive Committee member H. Scott Apley was admitted to a medical facility in Galveston with "pneumonia-like symptoms" and a positive COVID-19 test, per a GoFundMe page set up by the family. Following his admission, Apley was sedated and put on a ventilator.
