On Wednesday night, CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers issued an apology after receiving criticism for a tweet that suggested President Donald Trump was partly to blame for a fatal collision involving an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Sellers claimed he had made a mistake for linking the tragedy to the president's federal hiring freeze, stating, “I fed up.”
His initial tweet attracted significant backlash from supporters of Trump, who labeled him as "despicable" and a "broken human being" for attempting to connect the crash to the president’s executive order. The crash involved an American Airlines flight that was arriving from Wichita, Kansas, and included 64 passengers and crew, among them several members of the U.S. Figure Skating team. The military helicopter was conducting a training mission with only three soldiers on board. As the situation unfolded, officials indicated that there were likely no survivors.
In response to the incident, President Trump attributed the blame to the helicopter pilots and the control tower, questioning why the helicopter did not adjust its altitude. Meanwhile, Sellers shared a press release from House Democrats critiquing Trump’s hiring freeze, mentioning that the aviation industry has labeled hiring air traffic controllers as critical for safety. The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's ranking member, Rick Larsen, underscored the need to focus on aviation safety rather than issuing policies that could undermine it.
The executive order enacted by Trump on January 20 placed a freeze on filling vacant federal civilian positions across all executive branches, raising concerns about its impact on hiring air traffic controllers. While the White House defended the policy by terminating a previous FAA hiring initiative focused on diversity and inclusion, it remained unclear whether air traffic controller positions were affected by the freeze.
The political fallout from Sellers' initial tweet prompted an immediate backlash, including harsh critiques from right-wing commentators who condemned his response as opportunistic, given the circumstances of the tragedy. Following the uproar, Sellers deleted the tweet and issued an apology, recognizing that his timing was inappropriate and expressing his intent to focus on rescuing survivors instead of political discourse.
Despite his acknowledgment of the misstep, conservative commentators continued to express outrage, with calls for Sellers to lose his position at CNN. Fox News contributor Joe Concha vehemently criticized Sellers' actions, suggesting he should face consequences for exploiting a tragic event for political commentary. When approached for a response, a spokesperson for CNN indicated they would allow Sellers' apology to stand as is.
7 Comments
Rotfront
It's a shame that Sellers is being attacked for trying to hold the President accountable.
Matzomaster
This is the lowest of the low. Using a tragedy to further your political agenda is unconscionable.
Karamba
Sellers owes the victims, their families, and the American people a sincere apology for his insensitive words.
Pupsik
This is why people are losing faith in the media. You're more interested in pushing your agenda than reporting the news.
Marishka
This is a tragedy, but we can't ignore the possible contributing factors, including the hiring freeze.
Katchuka
This is a disgrace to journalism. Sellers should be ashamed of himself for using this tragedy to attack the President.
Michelangelo
This is why people distrust the media. You only care about pushing your agenda, not reporting the news.