Trump’s Aviation Cuts and a Tragic Collision

As CNN reported, a 16-year streak of aviation safety ended in tragedy when an American Airlines flight collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

This disaster comes after Trump gutted a key aviation safety advisory committee on his first full day in office. As the Associated Press reported:

“President Donald Trump moved quickly to remake the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, firing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard before their terms were up and eliminating all members of a key aviation security advisory group.”

In just ten days, Trump set a precedent of reckless dismissals and deregulation, alarming federal workers with sweeping threats of firings.

If this sequence of events had happened under Biden, Trump would be relentlessly blaming him. Instead, all we hear is Trump deflecting responsibility—blaming DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) rather than his own actions.

Pete Buttigieg, Biden’s Secretary of Transportation posted: “Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch. President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe. Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again.”

It’s a clear pattern: Trump weakens safeguards, disaster follows, and then he finds a scapegoat.

Pardoning Insurrection: A Dangerous Signal for American Democracy

Pardoning Insurrection: A Dangerous Signal for American Democracy

The pardons granted to January 6th criminals send a chilling message: violence on Trump’s behalf will not only be tolerated but rewarded. These individuals, convicted for their role in a violent attempt to overturn a lawful election, are now being absolved of their actions. This move risks normalizing political violence and emboldening those who see force as a legitimate tool for achieving their aims.

History offers a stark warning. In the 1930s, Hitler’s “Brown Shirts” operated as paramilitary enforcers, using intimidation and violence to suppress dissent and secure Nazi power. The parallels are unsettling. By pardoning those who engaged in violence on January 6th, Trump is signaling that such actions are not only acceptable but potentially encouraged under his leadership.

This normalization of political violence undermines the very foundations of democracy. It fosters an environment where loyalty to a leader takes precedence over the rule of law and where fear replaces the free exchange of ideas. We must remain vigilant and resolute in rejecting any attempts to erode democratic norms and sanction violence as a means of political expression.

The stakes are clear. Allowing this dangerous precedent to stand risks further destabilizing our democracy and empowering those who seek to undermine it. As citizens, we must hold our leaders accountable and demand adherence to the rule of law.

Mercy and Plea for Humanity Denied

In the early days of Trump’s administration, cruelty quickly became a defining feature. As the nation grappled with fear and uncertainty, Bishop Mariann E. Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, courageously spoke out. She offered a plea for mercy—not as a demand, but as an appeal to the humanity of those in power.

“To plea for mercy is actually a very humbling thing to do,” Bishop Budde reflected. “I wasn’t demanding anything of him. I was pleading with him, like, can you see the humanity of these people? Can you acknowledge that there are people in this country who are scared? … If not him, if not the president, could others?”

Her words fell on deaf ears. Trump and his allies, including J.D. Vance, not only dismissed her plea but took offense. It was a stark reminder that, in their vision for governance, there seemed to be no room for compassion or humanity.

The rejection of Bishop Budde’s plea was more than a refusal to acknowledge the suffering of millions—it was a deliberate statement of values. And for many Americans, it signaled the troubling reality of an administration driven by division and devoid of mercy.