In yet another shameless attempt to turn a national tragedy into a political attack, CNN’s Abby Phillip wasted no time in suggesting that President Trump was somehow responsible for the midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter. Less than an hour after news of the crash broke, Phillip pointed to the lack of a confirmed FAA administrator—as if air traffic controllers simply stop doing their jobs during a transition of power.
“Look, it’s January 29th. We are just nine days out from a presidential transition, an administrative transition. The FAA administrator resigned at the end of the Biden administration. So there is no permanent confirmed FAA administrator right now,” Phillip said on air. She then questioned what the Trump administration’s hiring freeze might mean for the ongoing response to the crash, in a clear attempt to link Trump’s policies to the disaster.
Former Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo wasn’t having it. She immediately shut down Phillip’s baseless claim, stating:
“Air traffic controllers do not come and go with the change of an administration … The politics of the situation should have had no impact whatsoever on air traffic controllers.”
Minutes after the DCA plane crash, CNN anchor Abby Phillip is already trying to blame the Trump admin for the crash.
Callous and yet so entirely predictable. pic.twitter.com/FEhZkeey8b
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 30, 2025
CNN’s Abby Phillip tries to not-so-subtly move the conversation towards blaming Donald Trump and his new administration for the American Airlines-Blackhawk helicopter crash over the Potomac next to Reagan National Airport…
Phillip: “Look, it’s January 29th. We are just nine… pic.twitter.com/JTOzxwQcCQ
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 30, 2025
Boom. End of discussion.
Unfortunately, Phillip wasn’t the only one trying to score cheap political points. CNN contributor Bakari Sellers jumped in on X (formerly Twitter), blaming Trump’s federal hiring freeze for the collision.
After getting roasted online, Sellers quickly deleted his post and backpedaled:
“I deleted the post because timing matters. Politics at this point does not. I fu**ed up, I own that. I am very prayerful but I’m also very frustrated upset and disturbed with where we are as a country. I recognize, and I will do better.”
Too little, too late.
U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) also got in on the action, posting “Praying for the families and demanding answers”—while blaming Trump in the same breath.
The tragic accident involved an American Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members. The plane collided midair with a U.S. Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, which was conducting a training flight out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Rescue crews have recovered at least 18 bodies, and radio transmissions suggest there are no viable survivors.
Unlike his media critics, President Trump stayed focused on the victims and first responders, issuing a statement shortly after being briefed:
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders.”
The media’s pathetic attempts to blame Trump for a tragic accident only further expose their desperation. Meanwhile, the President is doing what leaders do—focusing on the facts, supporting victims, and ensuring accountability.
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