Katherine Fung is a Newsweek journalist founded in New York. Its objective is to report on American and global politics. Covered the number one republican elections and the American school system. Katherine joined Newsweek in 2020 and had already worked at Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario and received his mastery at New York University. You can touch Katherine by sending an email to k. fung@newsweek. com. Languages: English.
According to the facts, first hand was observed and verified through the journalist or informed and verified from competent sources.
Less than kilometers from the Potomac River, a family edition of President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Trump appeared to resume the role of blamer-in-chief in the aftermath of Thursday’s fatal plane crash, surveying the tragedy as just another American citizen asking questions, rather than as the leader of a nation dealing with its first commercial air disaster in 15 years.
An American Airlines jet and a U. S. Army Black Hawk helicopter were in the air. U. S. They collided around 9 p. m. on Wednesday when the regional jet with 64 other people approached the runway at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Trump, in his first appearance on the podium in the press room of the White House since he took the workplace last week, presented his condolences to the families of the patients before without delay in delivering the base to the former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and even pilots in the Army helicopter.
Asked what brought him to those conclusions given that the investigation into the crash was only hours old and most victims had not even been identified, the president responded: “Because I have common sense.”
On Thursday afternoon, bodies continued to be pulled from the cold waters of the Potomac River as emergency officials worked tirelessly to locate the other 67 people presumed to have died in what the deadliest plane crashed in the United States since 2001.
Trump’s rapid comments remember that, although many things can be others at the time the Trump administration, many remain the same. The tone brought through the president on Thursday looked a lot like score style that took his first mandate.
It was a strategy he deployed at the expense of his political rivals, whom he dubbed with nicknames such as “Do Nothing Democrats,” “Cryin’ Chuck Schumer” and “Crazy Nancy [Pelosi]. “
In the first months of the Covid pandemic, Trump repeatedly blamed China for the virus, tweeting remarks like, “The Democrats are just, as always, looking for trouble. They do nothing constructive, even in times of crisis. They don’t want to blame their cash cow, China, for the plague. China is blaming Europe,” on May 2, 2020.
But it was Trump’s own management that failed to prevent flights from China in the critical first few weeks. In February and March 2020, as Trump threw out someone to blame for the unfolding crisis that would engulf his presidency, only about 40,000 people ED from China to the United States, despite the limited restrictions he put in place.
Almost at the same time, with the country in the middle of the first wave of the pandemic, Trump said the federal government has to rescue the states and cities with the emerging budget disaster.
“Why do other people and taxpayers in America exploit states (such as Illinois, as an example) and cities, in any case, the Democrat directs and manages, while the maximum of other states does not look at the rescue aid ?
On the day of this tweet, on April 27, New York registered 337 cowardly deaths.
Fast forward to New Year’s Day 2025, weeks before taking the workplace for a moment, Trump seemed to resort to this air when he blamed lax border security for a terrorist attack in New Orleans, which left 15 dead and dozens more injured. The perpetrator of this attack on a Texas-born U. S. citizen.
Republican strategist Matt Klink told Newsweek on Thursday that Trump’s response to the plane crash in Washington “missed the mark.”
“Instead of indicating that I still did not have all the data of what the accident caused, he injected politics into an already very emotional situation,” Klink said.
He continued, “The President needs to realize that the election is over, and while he wants to smash the status quo, which people who voted for him support, at this particular moment, Americans were looking for reassurance from the commander-in-chief that he and his new team, which isn’t even complete, would get to the bottom of what caused the crash and enact changes to make sure that events like the crash are rare.”
Veteran Democratic strategist Matt Bennett said the blame game is crucial to Trump’s brand of right-wing populism, where those figures “must always be the hero and have a villain to blame.”
“Following a horrible tragedy like this, the maximum public figures would only help the country cry and promise to investigate,” Bennett told Newsweek. “Trump, on the other hand, is looking for tactics to magnify and blame his enemies. It is not surprising, that is what he did the last time he was president, but no less disgusting to see him pointing out his hands without evidence to help the country to heal “
Political consultant Jay Townsend also criticized the president’s response.
“When the firefighter comes up from putting out a fire, it is his most sensible priority. They don’t waste time locating the fire. “
But Steve Mitchell, a republican sound from Michigan, argued that Trump’s reaction only puts his voice in what the other Americans had thought.
In his initial reaction to the tragedy, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday night that the plane was on a “perfect and routine” path and that the helicopter deserves to have noticed the plane’s “outlandish” lighting fixtures on such a “clear night. “He asked why the helicopter didn’t move out of the path of the aircraft and why the tower didn’t interfere to order this helicopter to move.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” Trump said.
Mitchell said one of the reasons Trump is popular among his voters is because “he often echoes what others are saying.”
“When you look at what happened a crystal night in one of the world’s maximum complicated airports, it is difficult not to draw the conclusion that it may have been avoided,” Mitchell said.
On Thursday, Trump held a moment of silence for the victims, telling the press, “We are in mourning, this has really shaken a lot of people.” But he moved on quickly, saying, “We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas. We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
Mitchell applauded Trump for extended his sympathy and condolences to those impacted by the collision and for not offering “platitudes or cliches,” and instead saying “what everyone else was thinking.”
“[That is] why the electorate identifies so well with him and with his leadership style,” Mitchell said. “He continues to say what he thinks and does what he says he will do. “
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek journalist founded in New York. Its objective is to report on American and global politics. Covered the number one republican elections and the American school system. Katherine joined Newsweek in 2020 and had already worked at Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario and received his mastery at New York University. You can touch Katherine by sending an email to k. fung@newsweek. com. Languages: English.
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. She has covered the Republican primary elections and the American education system extensively. Katherine joined Newsweek in 2020 and had previously worked at Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and obtained her Master’s degree from New York University. You can get in touch with Katherine by emailing [email protected]. Languages: English.