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Dem Rep Doubles Down On Claim Trump Contributed To Fatal Aviation Disaster
Daily Caller ^ | January 30, 2025 | Adam Pack

Posted on 01/30/2025 11:00:03 AM PST by Red Badger

Democratic California Rep. Norma Torres is doubling down on holding President Donald Trump responsible for contributing to the fatal aircraft collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday night despite the president being in office for just over a week.

Torres fired off two tweets late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning appearing to attribute the aviation disaster to executive actions Trump took related to a federal hiring freeze and firing several agency heads. There is no indication that the president’s actions contributed to the midair collision, a White House official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Trump administration notably exempted air traffic controllers from the president’s hiring freeze, according to the official.

“It’s heartless and cruel of online figures to politicize this tragedy with dozens dead by searching for any angle to attack the President,” the official told the DCNF. “The politics of DC this week had zero impact on day to day work of air traffic control or the flow of aircraft. Air traffic controllers do not turn over with new administrations.”

Torres stood by her tweets implicating Trump in Wednesday night’s aircraft collision in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, stating that the president’s actions “are on a dangerous path that threatens to further endanger American lives.”

The midair collision between an American Airlines jetliner and an Army Blackhawk helicopter is believed to have resulted in the deaths of 67 people and is the worst aviation disaster on U.S. soil since 2009.

Torres fired off her first tweet at 10:43 pm EST in response to a post from American Airlines confirming reports of an aviation incident involving an American Eagle flight operated by PSA Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines used for regional flights. The Democratic congresswoman posted the tweet roughly two hours after the first reports of a collision were made available and as hundreds of first responders rushed to the scene with emergency crews diving into frigid waters in search of survivors.

“Praying for the families and demanding answers,” Torres wrote while sharing two images of a press release from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Democrats criticizing Trump for allegedly freezing air traffic control hiring that was posted on Jan. 22.

Former Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo appeared to tell CCN last night that executive actions related to an alleged hiring freeze did not contribute to the midair collision.

“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,” Schiavo said.

Roughly two hours later at 12:44 am EST, Torres appeared to double down in blaming Trump’s alleged hiring freeze for contributing to the fatal midair collision.

The Democratic congresswoman also shared an AP news article reporting on the president firing the heads of the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and disbanding an aviation security advisory committee that reports to the TSA administrator. The TSA is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, not the Federal Aviation Administration, which is in charge of regulating civil aviation. Torres appeared to be insinuating that these actions contributed to the fatal aircraft collision.

“I will absolutely demand answers,” Torres wrote. “All of the families deserve answers.”

“#TRUMP #Chaos,” Torres added.

“I stand by my statement on this horrific incident,” Torres told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a written statement. “We must thoroughly investigate what happened — families and the flying public deserve answers. This tragedy was avoidable, and as investigators continue their work, I will demand recommendations on how the hiring freeze of air traffic controllers and the firing of key board members will impact safety, especially the oversight board established after the tragic Pan Am crash.”

“Trump has been in office for 8 days, and his actions are on a dangerous path that threatens to further endanger American lives,” Torres added.

Not all Democratic lawmakers immediately rushed to politicize Wednesday night’s tragedy.

“In the most partisan place, I’m really thankful that Democrats and Republicans — people from all over — have come together to try to make sure that the people are served,” Democratic Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, whose congressional district includes Reagan National Airport, said at a press conference at the airport Thursday morning.

Confirmation that there are no survivors on board the regional jet and the military helicopter would make the midair collision above the Potomac the most fatal aviation disaster on American soil since 9/11.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: normatorres
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Democrats ALWAYS DOUBLE DOWN ON STUPID. It's what they do..........
1 posted on 01/30/2025 11:00:03 AM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Good grief, what an idiot.


2 posted on 01/30/2025 11:00:42 AM PST by Fury
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To: Red Badger

Who?


3 posted on 01/30/2025 11:01:50 AM PST by WeaslesRippedMyFlesh
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To: Red Badger

I am so sick of everything, even a tragedy like this, turned into political fodder.

(And I want the word ‘horrific’ banned to kingdom come.)


4 posted on 01/30/2025 11:03:34 AM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
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To: Red Badger

Either she is delusional or, or she thinks that her constituents are completely stupid. Her R opponent next time around should remind them of these facts, repeatedly.


5 posted on 01/30/2025 11:03:49 AM PST by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." The Weapons Shops of Isher)
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To: Red Badger

Complete and total bovine droppings by this Dimocrapt.

Re- last night’s collision that happened just west of the Bolling AFB commissary/BX/parking lot complex. I just realized that if the collision had happened 100 or 200 yards east of where it did, it would have been over a portion of the Bolling AFB housing area that is between the commissary/BX complex and the shore line.


6 posted on 01/30/2025 11:04:41 AM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: Red Badger

Why is this surprising? Democrats are absolutely shameless!


7 posted on 01/30/2025 11:04:52 AM PST by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: WeaslesRippedMyFlesh

Has Schiff weighed in ?


8 posted on 01/30/2025 11:05:08 AM PST by Col Frank Slade
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To: Red Badger

Torres fired off two tweets late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning


can anyone confirm those tweets are still there?


9 posted on 01/30/2025 11:05:12 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere)
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To: PeterPrinciple

There are 40-50,000 flights a day. times 7 days. 300-350,000 flights since he took office. Does he get credit for those?


10 posted on 01/30/2025 11:08:28 AM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
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To: Fury

FOOKIN’ idjit!


11 posted on 01/30/2025 11:09:45 AM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: Ancesthntr

“Either she is delusional or, or she thinks that her constituents are completely stupid”

…it’s really both


12 posted on 01/30/2025 11:10:21 AM PST by albie (U)
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To: Red Badger

ATC’s fault, probably 80%.


13 posted on 01/30/2025 11:12:03 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Red Badger

“Norma Torres”

I hold her personally responsible for this tragedy. Why? Just because she’s not aligned with me politically. That seems to be the standard that she follows.


14 posted on 01/30/2025 11:12:40 AM PST by rightwingcrazy (;-,)
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To: Red Badger

Fewer people died in the most recent commercial airline crash in the United States (50 in Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009). To have a calamity with 67 or more dead in the US you have to go back to Nov. 12, 2001, when an American Airlines plane crashed after taking off from JFK Airport, killing 265.


15 posted on 01/30/2025 11:12:59 AM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: Fury

I cannot believe the idiocy and stupidity of the politicians we have in government


16 posted on 01/30/2025 11:13:00 AM PST by ronnie raygun
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To: PeterPrinciple
I didn’t see those tweets when I went snooping, so she may have removed them.

But this is on her page. She’s all about helping foreign criminal invaders.


17 posted on 01/30/2025 11:14:15 AM PST by Allegra (It’s MAGA time! )
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To: Allegra

So she is ignorant and siding criminals. Great combo.


18 posted on 01/30/2025 11:19:37 AM PST by madison10
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To: Red Badger
Image

Image

19 posted on 01/30/2025 11:20:52 AM PST by CFW
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To: Red Badger

“Trump has been in office for 8 days, and his actions are on a dangerous path that threatens to further endanger American lives,” Torres added. It took the Creator six days to make everything, He rested on the seventh. 8 days, seriously?


20 posted on 01/30/2025 11:21:13 AM PST by kawhill (How to maximize your loyalty perks. A free alternative to global entry.)
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