When an Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia, Pa., last night, killing at least six people and injuring several more, many viewed it as a tragedy. Others viewed it as an opportunity to advance their political careers.
Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman whose flirtation with a presidential campaign has lasted longer than his second marriage, began tweeting that only he could prevent similar train crashes in the future as the images started to reach national television.
Amtrak crash near Philadelphia, train derails -many hurt, some badly. Our country has horrible infrastructure problems. Pols can’t solve!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2015
Trump then paused, shared a happy birthday wish for New York Yankees hall-of-fame catcher Yogi Berra, and then resumed his argument on Twitter that he was uniquely capable of fixing American infrastructure.
I am the BEST builder, just look at what I’ve built. Hillary can’t build. Republican candidates can’t build. They don’t have a clue!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2015
Remember, politicians are all talk and NO action. Our country is a laughing stock that is going to hell. The lobbyists & donors control all!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2015
The only one to fix the infrastructure of our country is me – roads, airports, bridges. I know how to build, pols only know how to talk!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2015
But Trump was not the only public official to adhere to Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel’s commandment that “you never let a serious crisis go to waste.” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is in Washington, D.C., to promote his “Progressive Agenda,” told MSNBC that his city is crumbling because of the lack of federal support.
“This [train wreck] is part of what is motivating Mayor Cornett [of Oklahoma City] and I, and a bipartisan coalition to go to Capitol Hill today and say we’ve got to get serious about actually investing in our infrastructure if we want to be a strong and competitive country in the future,” de Blasio said. “I have 160 bridges in New York City that are over 100 years old. We have the challenge everyday of just keeping the basics together.”
MSNBC flashed graphics of China’s railroad spending compared to Amtrak to accompany de Blasio’s plea for the federal government’s intervention. A House Appropriations Committee markup of the bill that funds Amtrak is scheduled for today, and will likely garner more attention as a result of the accident in Philadelphia.
