A bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed after a 100-ton cargo ship hit it early Tuesday morning. Some conservatives are politicizing the disaster by blaming Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, citing his family and his stand against racism.
At 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a cargo ship leaving the port of Baltimore and headed for Sri Lanka hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge due to a power issue on board. Video shows the ship hitting a column supporting the bridge, leading to its rapid collapse and the ship catching fire.
The number of casualties is not known yet. Some workers were fixing potholes on the bridge, and some cars fell into the cold water. Two survivors have been rescued, but one is in “very serious condition, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld.
However, six people are still missing.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) mentioned that the bridge met the required standards but could not endure the impact of being hit by such a large ship.
Buttigieg has already visited Baltimore to assess the damage, and President Joe Biden stated that the government will fund the bridge's reconstruction.
However, this did not prevent rightwingers from trying to shift blame to the left, particularly targeting Buttigieg, for the disaster.
“Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to address Baltimore Bridge collapse as soon as he’s done chestfeeding,” one popular conservative X account posted, using a term that transmasculine people often use to describe feeding their children. Homophobic conservatives have been saying that Buttigieg chest- or breastfeeds his kids for years as an anti-gay joke.
Disgraced former Congressmember George Santos decided he was “revoking Pete’s gay card!” after someone else shared a clip of Buttigieg discussing how, historically, road projects have divided communities of color. Many on the right are sharing a clip from 2021 where he mentioned a bridge, even though it is not related to this disaster or bridge.
Others suggested that focusing on racism would lead to bridges being built less securely. Some conservatives also made homophobic jokes.
Conservative activist Brigitte Gabriel called for Buttigieg to resign but did not explain why.
Many progressives and LGBTQ+ individuals resisted.
Buttigieg was concentrated on the disaster, expressing gratitude for the first responders and providing information about the government's response.
