A Mexican navy ship slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend, leaving two dead and 19 injured, as Fox News reports, and the Saturday night collision sparked immediate finger-pointing from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Though he is quick to blame a Trump-era policy, but the Coast Guard isn’t buying it.
The Cuauhtémoc, carrying 277 people, slammed into a portion of the iconic bridge, shocking bystanders, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed the power failure as the cause. This tragedy unfolded under the city’s twinkling skyline, but the political fallout is stealing the spotlight.
Schumer, briefed on the crash, wasted no time issuing a Sunday press release. He suggested a hiring freeze by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at Homeland Security crippled the Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic System (VTS). Here’s a classic case of a politician smelling an opportunity to dunk on Trump in real time.
“There are indications that this service called the VTS may not have been fully or adequately functional,” Schumer claimed. His insinuation? DOGE’s freeze left the Coast Guard shorthanded, possibly causing the crash. Sounds dramatic, but the facts don’t back his theatrics.
The Coast Guard fired back, stating the VTS was “fully functional” and operating normally. No other ships were involved, so the system wasn’t juggling multiple vessels. Schumer’s narrative of a bumbling, understaffed Coast Guard collapses under scrutiny.
“We know that the Trump administration has been meddling in U.S. Coast Guard operations,” Schumer doubled down. Meddling? The Coast Guard’s response suggests they were doing their job just fine, thank you very much.
The Coast Guard launched a crew from Station New York immediately after the crash. They set up a temporary safety zone and coordinated with NYPD, FDNY, and NYC DOT. No chaos here -- just professionals handling a crisis.
Meanwhile, Schumer’s still harping on DOGE, claiming it “may have limited the ability of the Coast Guard to fully staff up.” He’s painting a picture of a hollowed-out agency, but the Coast Guard’s actions tell a different story. Actions, not press releases, reveal competence.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) jumped in, announcing a “go-team” to investigate on Sunday. They’ll dig into why the Cuauhtémoc lost power and smashed into the bridge. Expect answers, not speculation, from their report.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the crash on X at 1:15 a.m. “Our solidarity and support go out to their families,” she said. Her response was somber, focused on the human toll, not political point-scoring.
Sheinbaum confirmed the Secretariat of the Navy, with local authorities, is tending to the injured. The Mexican Ambassador and Consulate General in New York are also assisting. This is international cooperation, not a blame game.
Back to Schumer: “If this were the case, the Brooklyn Bridge accident could be a national harbinger.” A harbinger? His rhetoric is dialed up to 11, but the Coast Guard’s already debunked his VTS theory.
Schumer’s press release reeks of opportunism, leveraging a tragedy to attack Trump’s policies. The Coast Guard’s statement, though, is a bucket of cold water on his claims. Facts trump feelings, senator.
With 277 people aboard, the Cuauhtémoc’s crash was a disaster, but the response was textbook. The Coast Guard, NYPD, FDNY, and NYC DOT worked seamlessly. Schumer’s DOGE obsession seems more about headlines than truth.
The NTSB’s investigation will clarify what went wrong, but one thing’s clear: Schumer’s rush to pin this on DOGE doesn’t hold water. Politicians love a crisis to exploit, but the Coast Guard’s competence shines through. Turns out, effective governance doesn’t need a press conference.
