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From Fox News: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested that the Department of Government Efficiency may be at least partly responsible for a Mexican navy tall ship crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night.
Schumer made the claim in a press release on Sunday, saying he had been briefed on the details of the deadly crash, which left two people dead and over a dozen more injured. Schumer argued that a U.S. Coast Guard system may have been operating at partial capacity due to a DOGE hiring freeze at the Department of Homeland Security, but the Coast Guard itself says the system was “fully functional during the incident.”
“We know that the Trump administration has been meddling in U.S. Coast Guard operations, from staffing to command and comms, and I have the general sense of a DOGE dysfunction in parts of the Coast Guard, to put it mildly,” Schumer wrote in a statement. “After being fully briefed on last night’s Brooklyn Bridge accident, one thing is very clear. There are many more questions than answers as to how the accident occurred and whether it could have been prevented.”
Schumer went on to point to the DOGE-implemented hiring freeze at the U.S. Coast Guard, arguing it could have impeded the Coast Guard’s Vehicle Traffic System (VTS), which works in a similar fashion to the air traffic control system.
In a post on X Sunday afternoon, Schumer claimed, “With the Brooklyn Bridge strike last night: I’m fighting for answers about whether Trump and DOGE have impacted water traffic control. We know they’ve been meddling with U.S. Coast Guard staffing.
“Trump relieved Admiral Linda Fagan as Commandant of the USCG, and that position is still vacant. And the hiring freeze has limited the ability for the USCG to staff up the Vehicle Traffic Service, that’s their traffic control operation that acts like Air Traffic Control but on water. We need action for our national security, infrastructure protection, and public safety.”
The Department of Homeland Security fired back against Schumer’s wild claim with the following statement:
Minority Leader Schumer’s accusations that a hiring freeze led to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Services not being adequately staffed are FALSE. The US Coast Guard has been fully supported and been exempt from hiring freezes. Additionally, this incident had nothing to do with Vessel Traffic Services— when a ship loses propulsion in a high current area, the vessel needs to engage all capabilities to stop and ideally tugs are nearby to support.
We encourage Minority Leader Schumer to get his facts straight before he misleads the American people.
Minority Leader Schumer’s accusations that a hiring freeze led to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Services not being adequately staffed are FALSE. The US Coast Guard has been fully supported and been exempt from hiring freezes. Additionally, this incident had nothing to do… https://t.co/BR4iJX2oX9
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 18, 2025
Schumer is being slammed on social media for trying to blame the crash on the Trump administration.
You mean this boat accident where they didn’t clear the bridge because of Trump how?
Did he guide the ship into the bridge? pic.twitter.com/u7rV5mVL3w
— Pam Besteder (@pambesteder) May 19, 2025
The bridge was right in front of the ship.
The masts were clearly too high, yet whoever was manning the boat still tried going under the bridge.
How exactly is that Trump/DOGEs fault?— Leftism (@LeftismForU) May 18, 2025
I thought this was parody.
Nope @SenSchumer really is blaming the Mexican Boat crash on D.O.G.O and Trump!
— Sally (@TalkWithSally) May 19, 2025
I blame Chuck Schumer for the boat crash. See how easy that is?
— Jim Barrett (@Jim_T_Barrett) May 19, 2025
READ MORE from Fox News.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE HORROR: Mexican navy tall ship smashes into bridge, 2 dead, multiple hurt
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