Lynette Hardaway, best known as “Diamond,” and half of a duo of former Republican president Donald Trump’s “most loyal supporters” died at 51, Trump announced Monday.
Trump announced Hardaway’s death on his Truth Social platform calling it “really bad news for Republicans, all Americans.” Later a tweet from the Diamond and Silk’s Twitter page confirmed Hardaway’s death.
“Our beautiful Diamond, of Diamond and Silk, has just passed away at her home in the State she loved so much, North Carolina,” Trump wrote. “Silk was with her all the way, and at her passing. There was no better TEAM anywhere, or at any time! Diamond’s death was totally unexpected, probably her big and precious HEART just plain gave out. Rest In Peace our Magnificent Diamond, you will be greatly missed!”
Hardaway and her sister, Rochelle “Silk” Richardson, caught the eye of the former president during his 2016 bid for the White House. The pair made videos with political commentary on YouTube criticizing the Democratic party after switching sides to support the reality-TV star turned presidential hopeful at the time. They soon joined Trump on the campaign trail, rallying in his favor, propelling them to GOP fame.
Other Republicans posted photos of themselves with Diamond and sent well-wishes to her family as news broke of her death Monday night, including former HUD secretary Ben Carson, former Georgia Rep. Vernon Jones, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
While Hardaway’s exact cause of death is unclear, Black Twitter has already pinpointed what took the 51-year-old’s life in a flurry of speculative tweets.
How Black Twitter Is Responding to Diamond’s Death
Pointing to a tweet for the duo’s Twitter account on Nov. 26 coupled with a now-deleted report, some blue check users speculated that the Black political commenter who was a strong opponent of COVID-19 vaccines died from a long battle with the virus.
However, the Daily Beast reports that Hardaway denied ever being hospitalized with coronavirus. In the November tweet, the duo’s Twitter page issued a call for prayers. It’s unclear whether Hardaway’s death is linked to that previous illness or COVID.
In a brief return to her show “Diamond and Silk Crystal Clear” following the unspecified illness in November, Diamond called news of a COVID illness “fake news.”
The sisters’ stance against vaccines and COVID-19 conspiracy theories led to them being terminated from Fox News in 2020. Soon after, they started “Diamond and Silk: Crystal Clear” on another conservative network, Newsmax.
Although some of the reactions from Black Republicans were heartfelt, some Black Twitter users accused Diamond of being a traitor to her race, posting pictures of a dead raccoon. “Rest in Piss,” one Black Twitter user also wrote with a video of people dancing to a Kompa song by Sweet Micky titled “I Don’t Care.”
“Diamond was a buffoon who died because she drank the Kool-Aid, believed the lies and hype and did her part to perpetrate the fraud. There is little else that can be said,” Black Twitter user Larry Middleton also wrote.
As the rumors about Diamond’s possible COVID-19-related death continued to circulate, others compared the Black woman’s death to that of the late Tea Party activist and former presidential candidate Herman Cain. The Black conservative died in July 2020 after a battle with the virus and was also vocal about being an anti-masker.
“All of that “buffoonery” in vain. Reminds me of Herman Cain. Licked Trump’s a$$ to the very end. Our patience grew thin. Died without a clue. Believed Trump’s COVID lies and paid the ultimate prize. Refused to be wise. So now we say our goodbyes,” wrote Twitter user @NUPEsupreme.
