Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) — the three magical words that seem to be Donald Trump‘s go-to scapegoat for every calamity that befalls the nation. However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries isn’t about to let Trump’s blame game slide, especially in the wake of the tragic Blackhawk collision that claimed numerous lives.
In a press conference on Jan.31, 2025, Jeffries, alongside Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, took aim at President Trump’s insensitive remarks. Just a day earlier, the nation was left reeling from a devastating midair collision between an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk helicopter above the Potomac River. The aircraft, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, had departed from Wichita, KS, while the helicopter, with three crew members onboard, was reportedly on a training flight. Tragically, the Washington, D.C. fire chief confirmed that the collision left no survivors
Trump’s reaction to this disaster? A curt social media dismissal as “NOT GOOD!!!” and a swift pivot at a press conference to blame DEI at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Speaking from the White House briefing room, he called the incident “a tragedy of terrible proportions” and declared that “brilliant people have to be in those positions.” For Trump, “brilliant” seems to mean “uniformly unvaried,” which sounds like a polite way of excluding any room for diversity.
Jeffries, in a scathing post on X, called out Trump’s megalomaniacal behavior:
Bodies are still being pulled from the Potomac.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 30, 2025
The President and extreme MAGA Republicans are blaming women and people of color for the deadly plane crash.
At the same time, they are dismantling the Federal Aviation Administration as we know it.
Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/SgS1y9FuTK
It’s a sentiment that’s really rubbing a lot of us the wrong way as we watch our so-called leader treat a national tragedy like just another day at the office. His cold disregard for human life and his eagerness to spin a disaster into a political point is nothing short of appalling. But here’s the irony — right at the start of his term, he issued an executive order that put a stop to DEI programs across federal agencies and put a freeze on the jobs of those tasked with implementing these policies. And where’s the outrage from the MAGA fans? Silent as a mime school. Seems like they only remember what conveniently fits their narratives.
Trump’s broader strategy is unsettlingly clear. He’s rallying his base by blaming every conceivable American ailment on what he describes as the “vermin” — migrants, queer people, and the so-called “radical left thugs.” Elon Musk’s hand gesture further proves that all of this is a calculated strategy. It’s glaringly obvious we need leaders who pull us together, not tear us apart. Thankfully, folks like Hakeem Jeffries and Adam Kinzinger are stepping up, calling out Trump’s sideshow with the freshness of sanity in a madhouse.
Published: Feb 1, 2025 11:40 am