Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott hit back at MAGA critics during an interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid after they errroneously blamed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge occurred early Tuesday when a container ship struck the structure, causing it to crumble like a house of cards into the Patapsco River. The tragic event resulted in the deaths of six individuals who were working on the bridge at the time and led to the closure of one of the nation's busiest ports.
Despite initial hopes of finding survivors, the search for the missing individuals quickly turned into a grim recovery mission as authorities expressed doubts about the chances of locating anyone alive.
Responding to attacks on his leadership following the collapse, Scott responded:
“I know, and we know, and you know very well, that Black men, and young Black men in particular, have been the bogeyman for those who are racist and think that only straight, wealthy white men should have a say in anything."
“We’ve been the bogeyman for them since the first day they brought us to this country, and what they mean by ‘DEI,’ in my opinion, is duly elected incumbent.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Many appreciated Scott's direct and snarky response.
Reid later noted the racist nature of these criticisms, saying that "by right-wing logic, a ‘diversity hire’ would have been a white man," to which Scott replied:
"“But [critics] don’t have the courage to say the N-word, and the fact that I don’t believe in their untruthful and wrong ideology, and I am very proud of my heritage and who I am and where I come from, scares them."
“Because me being at my position means that their way of thinking, their way of life of being comfortable while everyone else suffers, is going to be at risk, and they should be afraid because that’s my purpose in life.”
Conspiracy theories about the nature of the collapse circulated almost immediately after it made headlines.
Earlier, David Simon, the acclaimed creator and producer of The Wire who has often used Baltimore as the backdrop for his shows, lashed out at Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after she baselessly suggested the collapse was an act of terrorism.
Despite Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley's announcement that there is "absolutely no indication that there's any terrorism, or that this was done on purpose, Greene and other conservatives insisted the collapse was "an intentional attack, promoting Simon to refer to her as a "submoronic pratfall of a human being."
CCTV footage captures moments before the Dali, the vessel involved in the bridge collision, experienced two periods of power loss. According to an AFP report, Synergy Marine Group stated that the cause of the incident "remains undetermined."
Experts raised concerns that the bridge's primary support structures might not have been adequately fortified to endure impact from a vessel of such magnitude.
