Following a devastating plane crash near Washington, D.C., Donald Trump penned a social media post trivializing the incident as “NOT GOOD!!!”
On January 29, an American Airlines plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter in midair above the Potomac River. The aircraft departed from Wichita, KS, with 60 passengers onboard and four crew members. Meanwhile, the helicopter carried three crew members and was reportedly on a training flight when the collision occurred. Sadly, the rescue effort has turned into a recovery effort, as the Washington, D.C. fire chief confirmed there were likely no survivors.
The horrific accident is the deadliest aviation disaster since November of 2001, when an American Airlines flight crashed in New York, killing all 260 passengers onboard. Needless to say, there aren’t any words to describe the shock and devastation the nation feels. While everyone, naturally, wants answers on what happened, the only appropriate response as recovery efforts continue is to offer thoughts and condolences to those who have lost loved ones. Unfortunately, America’s leader does not know the meaning of sympathy and sensitivity.
Donald Trump pens rambling, thoughtless Truth Social post
After unprecedented disasters like these, the nation tends to look to the President for guidance and support. However, all Trump had to offer the people of America was the juvenile observation that the crash was “NOT GOOD!!!” Without a word of condolences or acknowledgment of the families of the passengers, he launched into a bizarre rant speculating about the incident. In his post, he claimed the plane was on “a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport” on a clear night. He stated that the helicopter should’ve moved to avoid the plane, or the control tower should’ve given better directions. In the end, he claims that the situation “should have been prevented.”
The crash occurred just hours before Trump’s Truth Social post, meaning he couldn’t have possibly been aware of the details of the collision nor able to say it was definitely a preventable accident. No one, especially the President of the United States, should be wildly speculating on the incident when so little has been confirmed. Additionally, Trump was hardly offering any profound insight into the accident. He was simply looking to place blame or stating the obvious about what would typically happen but clearly didn’t.
To be fair, it wasn’t the only statement from Trump. Immediately after the accident, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, released a statement in which he confirmed he had been briefed on the accident. He thanked first responders for their work and stated he was monitoring the situation. The carefully worded and measured response is a far cry from his social media rant. It’s unclear how he goes from thanking first responders to penning speculative posts insinuating the pilots or control tower were to blame.
Ultimately, authorities, including the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, have urged the nation to refrain from speculating on the cause of the collision. It’s far too early to determine a cause, and a full investigation is necessary. For now, America should follow the example of true leaders like Barack Obama, offering condolences to families and gratitude for the incredible first responders during this difficult time.
Published: Jan 30, 2025 11:06 am