CNN's Bakari Sellers deletes tweet blaming Trump for DC plane crash after backlash: 'Broken human being'

WASHINGTON, DC: CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers issued an apology on Wednesday, January 29 after deleting a controversial tweet that linked President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze to the deadly midair crash over Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The tweet, which suggested the president’s actions may have contributed to the horrific accident, sparked intense backlash from Trump supporters and right-wing commentators.

CNN's Bakari Sellers faces backlash for linking Donald Trump’s hiring freeze to deadly DC crash

Bakari Sellers' tweet referenced a press release from House Democrats, which condemned Trump’s January 20 executive order that froze hiring for federal positions, including air traffic controllers.

In the tweet, Sellers wrote, “8 days ago,” referring to the press release that described air traffic control hiring as the “number one safety issue” in the aviation industry. The tweet quickly went viral, drawing sharp criticism from conservative voices.

Washington Free Beacon editor Peter Hasson responded with anger, tweeting, “They are fishing corpses out of the Potomac, families are praying their loved ones miraculously survived, we haven’t the faintest clue yet what caused the crash, and Bakari is already frantically (and publicly!) looking for a way to blame it on Trump. What a broken human being.”

Former NFL sideline reporter and conservative commentator Michelle Tafoya also denounced Sellers, calling his post “despicable.” The reaction was swift, with other right-wing figures labeling Sellers as “pathetic” and accusing him of exploiting a national tragedy for political gain.

Sellers' tweet came in the wake of a deadly collision on January 29, when an American Airlines flight, carrying 64 passengers and crew members, collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on a training mission.

The crash occurred as the flight approached Reagan National Airport. Authorities have since reported that they do not expect any survivors and that 28 bodies have been recovered so far from the Potomac River. The helicopter was carrying three soldiers, and the flight was carrying several members of the US Figure Skating team.

Bakari Sellers deletes tweet linking Donald Trump’s hiring freeze to DC crash

The backlash intensified as President Trump took to social media, criticizing the helicopter pilots and the air traffic control tower for not preventing the crash. Trump questioned why the helicopter didn’t alter its flight path, asking, “Why didn’t the helicopter go up or down?”

Amid the mounting criticism, Sellers deleted his tweet and issued an apology.

“I deleted the post because timing matters. Politics at this point does not,” Sellers wrote on Twitter. “I f***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. The only thing that matters is rescuing the survivors, and ensuring this never happens again.”

Despite Sellers' apology, conservative figures continued to express outrage.

Fox News contributor Joe Concha demanded that CNN take action, saying, "This person should be fired. Because even after exploiting a horrible tragedy for political gain, he *STILL* throws a 'but I’m also very frustrated upset and disturbed with where we are as a country.' Which has zero to do with lives lost and families devastated forever. Get out."

A CNN spokesperson told The Independent that the network would “let Sellers’ apology speak for itself.”

Social media users were quick to slam Bakari Sellers after he deleted his tweet

As soon as Sellers deleted his tweet and apologized for linking President Trump's hiring freeze to the deadly DC crash, social media users quickly responded with sharp criticism.

A user said, "A simple “I’m sorry” would have sufficed. But you had to make it about you. Just shut up."

Another added, "You should just delete your entire account after that. There’s NEVER an excuse for that."

The third commentator remarked, "Nah. You tried to politicize a horrific tragedy that is still under investigation. You’re an absolute clown. Shame on you."

"You said what you said with a clear intention of politicizing it. You “owning” it is a cop out. Mask off moment," said a critic.

A person stated, "Disgusted you even leapt to the “LET ME BLAME TRUMP ASAP” as your immediate response. Despicable"

Other chimed in, "Their shouldn't be a but in that sentence. You aren't sorry. Your just upset that people called you out. This is why the left will never win an election again."

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