Conservatives are shamelessly peddling a shockingly insensitive conspiracy theory surrounding the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
In the early hours of Tuesday at around 1:40 a.m. EST, a 1,000-foot cargo ship collided with one of the structural pillars of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to plunge into the Patapsco River. Without a moment’s hesitation, conservative voices wasted no time in amplifying their callous and racially charged conspiracy theories.
In a particularly despicable segment, Fox Business attempted to exploit the tragedy—declared a developing mass casualty event by the Baltimore City Fire Department—by linking it to the “wide open border.” Host Maria Bartiromo, in a crass and insensitive manner, attempted to draw connections between the bridge collapse and President Joe Biden’s immigration policy.
Bartiromo began, “Let me also get your take on what’s going on in terms of world affairs. The White House has issued a statement on this saying that ‘there’s no indication of nefarious intent in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.’ The ship involved in the collapse of the bridge is 948-feet long, called The Dali, a Singaporean-flag container, but of course you’ve been talking a lot about the potential for wrongdoing or potential for foul play given the wide open border. That is why you have been so adamant.”
Unsurprisingly, this narrative rapidly disseminated throughout the conservative media sphere.
Despite the FBI’s conclusive determination that the crash was not the result of terrorist activity, other conservative figures, including Andrew Tate and Alex Jones, callously continued to promote their baseless theories, with Jones brazenly labeling it a “cyber attack.”
At the time of the collapse, a construction crew was carrying out maintenance on the bridge. Currently, two individuals have been rescued, with a search ongoing for six others in the water.
The Baltimore area, merely an hour’s drive from D.C., is one of the busiest sections of the country. The Key Bridge served as a crucial alternative route along Interstate 95, the East Coast corridor, catering to approximately 35,000 daily commuters, as per Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld.
The loss of the bridge, and its subsequent blockage in the river, also inflicts significant disruption on the shipping route to the Port of Baltimore.
Watch Bartiromo’s comments below:
Maria Bartiromo tries to link the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore to "the wide open border" pic.twitter.com/bkMdvFNa3g
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2024
