Baltimore mayor rips those blaming diversity efforts for bridge collapse

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott slammed rhetoric swirling online that has blamed diversity and inclusion efforts for the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The span, which stretched across the Patapsco River, collapsed into the waters below after a large shipping vessel plowed into it around 1:30 a.m. ET Tuesday. Eight construction workers who were patching potholes on the bridge at the time of the crash also plummeted into the river. Rescue crews saved two, the bodies of two others were recovered Wednesday morning and the remaining four are presumed dead.

Scott, a Democrat who in 2020 won the city’s mayoral election with over 70 percent of the vote, has called the devastation “an unthinkable tragedy,” telling reporters during an emotional press briefing Tuesday morning that his focus was to “first and foremost pray for all those who are impacted, those families, pray for our first responders and thank them.”

Some have raised theories that left-leaning policies, such as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, are to blame for the bridge’s collapse. Utah State Representative Phil Lyman on Tuesday shared a post to X, formerly Twitter, attacking Karenthia Barber, the Maryland port commissioner and first Black woman to hold the role, claiming that she “knows nothing about” her work but is focused more on DEI policies.

“This is what happens when you have Governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens,” Lyman, a Republican who is running to be Utah’s next governor, wrote in his post. Wes Moore, 45, is Maryland’s Democratic governor.

Other accounts have drawn backlash for making similar remarks specifically directed at Scott, including an X account with the username @iamyesyouareno, which posted Tuesday morning that Scott was “Baltimore’s DEI mayor.”

The comment, which had over 25 million views as of Wednesday night, was criticized by White House spokesman Andrew Bates, who wrote in response, “You’re attacking the mayor of a city suffering a tragedy for saying, ‘We have to first and foremost pray for all of those who are impacted’ and ‘pray for our first responders and thank them’ … How on Earth could you possible take issue with this?”

During an appearance on MSNBC Wednesday night, Scott, a Black man, addressed comments blaming diversity efforts for the bridge’s collapse, telling the network’s Joy Reid that “DEI, in my opinion, is duly elected incumbent.”

“Listen, I know, we all know, and you know very well that Black men and young Black men in particular have been the boogeyman for those who are racist and think that only straight wealthy white men should have a saying in anything,” Scott, 39, told Reid.

“What they mean by DEI, in my opinion, is duly elected incumbent,” he continued. “We know what they want to say, but they don’t have the courage to say the N-word, and the fact that I don’t believe in their untruthful and wrong ideology … scares them.”

Newsweek reached out to Scott’s office via email Wednesday evening for further comment.

Officials have said that Dali, the freighter ship that struck the Key Bridge, had experienced a complete power failure and lost control of its navigation and engine controls before crashing into the span. It is unclear what caused the power outage, and investigations are underway.

The administration of President Joe Biden has said that it intends for the federal government to fully fund reconstruction of the bridge. Scott told reporters early Tuesday morning that he was reluctant to discuss rebuilding efforts and was instead focused on the people impacted by the collapse.

“We shouldn’t even be having that discussion right now,” he said in response to questions on a timeline for rebuilding the span. “The discussion right now should be about the people, the souls, the lives that we’re trying to save.”