Staff Reports
President Joe Biden will begrudgingly make an appearance in Baltimore this Friday to assess the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, as his administration scrambles to cover up its past failures in handling catastrophes. Since a cargo ship careened into the bridge and tragically claimed the lives of six workers, Biden has dispatched Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to Baltimore, along with other high-ranking officials, in a desperate attempt to feign competence in managing the cleanup efforts.
Biden heads off bridge collapse scrutiny with trip to Baltimore https://t.co/iI22q1sudD https://t.co/iI22q1sudD
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 5, 2024
In a feeble attempt to save face, Biden has reluctantly approved $60 million in emergency funds for the city to minimize the disruption to supply chains and local businesses, all while the debris continues to wreak havoc on the bustling Port of Baltimore. The president’s visit comes a month after his lackluster appearance in East Palestine, Ohio, marking the one-year anniversary of a disastrous train derailment. Biden faced relentless criticism for his delayed response, but now, with the Baltimore bridge collapse, his administration is scrambling to avoid similar backlash.
Joining Biden on this reluctant excursion are Buttigieg and Governor Wes Moore (D-MD), where they will receive an “operational update” on the response efforts from the Coast Guard and Army Corps. White House mouthpiece Karine Jean-Pierre emphasized the Army Corps of Engineers’ involvement in assisting state officials with the wreckage removal and the reopening of the Port of Baltimore. Jean-Pierre, echoing the administration’s ongoing damage control efforts, assured the public that “the president is continuing to lead a whole of government approach in responding to the bridge collapse,” as if this should absolve their lackluster response thus far.
In what appears to be a feeble attempt at showing empathy, Biden will also meet with the grieving families of the six workers who lost their lives during the bridge collapse. Jean-Pierre described the victims as “hard workers” and attempted to paint Biden as the compassionate leader who understands the impact of loss, further emphasizing the administration’s desperate image rehabilitation efforts.
Beyond the local impact, the bridge collapse has caused significant disruptions to businesses and citizens in Baltimore and along the Eastern Seaboard. To mitigate the economic fallout, Small Business Administration Administrator Isabel Guzman ventured to Baltimore to placate concerns before the president’s visit. Moreover, the White House and Department of Labor have engaged with national employers, imploring them not to slash regional payrolls in the wake of the collapse, in an attempt to save Biden from further embarrassment.
Jean-Pierre confirmed these outreach efforts and attempted to paint a rosy picture of the administration’s response, claiming that Biden’s supply chain distribution task force was diligently analyzing the manageable impacts of the collapse. She boasted about their coordination with railroads to establish new service lines and their collaboration with ports and ocean carriers to divert vessels. Contriving an air of proactivity, Jean-Pierre touted the Small Business Administration’s low-interest disaster loan assistance and business recovery centers, attempting to mask the administration’s incompetency with a facade of active engagement.
In their desperate scramble to save face, the Biden administration will stop at nothing to exonerate themselves from their lackluster response to the Baltimore bridge collapse, as they employ every tool in their political arsenal to spin the narrative in their favor.
