How the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Represents Greater US Political Divisions

Article by Liliana Zavin, TPT Staff Writer

On Tuesday, March 26th at around 1:30 AM, a massive cargo ship lost power and crashed into one of the piers holding up the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bridge split almost instantly, with the two ends remaining sprawled across the cargo ship for days after. At least eight construction workers had been on the bridge repairing potholes during the crash, six of whom were presumed dead by Wednesday night. The Key Bridge crosses the Baltimore Harbor Port, a port critical to the shipping of auto parts and hazardous materials in the US. Tens of thousands of people cross the bridge each day, and they are now using tunnels beneath the harbor to reach their destinations. Because of its role in the auto parts industry and in transporting hazardous waste, along with being the gateway to one of the United States’ key trading ports, the collapse of the FSK Bridge is likely to have a major impact on the US economy. An event as major as the bridge collapse should serve to unite the opposing political sides leading up to the 2024 elections. Instead, it represents further division, as illegal immigration, foreign interference in technology and trade, and criticism of diverse infrastructure have all been brought into what is now a harrowing event.

Before the crash, eight construction workers, all immigrants from Latin America, had been fixing potholes on the bridge during a low-traffic time. The cargo ship lost all power shortly after leaving the Baltimore port, and its crew, knowing that a loss of power would mean they had no ability to control the ship’s trajectory, quickly sent warnings out to port workers. While the port workers were able to stop traffic from entering the bridge’s roads, they were unable to contact the construction foreman before the ship crashed into one of the bridge’s piers. Out of the eight workers who were plunged into the water as the bridge collapsed, six have been presumed dead. Fox News, on March 28th, published an article titled “Mexico President Says Baltimore Bridge Collapse Shows ‘Migrants Do Not Deserve to be Treated as They Are,’ in which they focused on the workers’ illegal immigration to the country and their plans to bring other members of their family to the nation. The workers were doing a job seen as undesirable for most Americans, fulfilling an essential task and sacrificing their lives for their work. As immigration remains one of the most polarizing issues in the nation, the deaths of migrant workers and the pain experienced by their families as a result has been minimized by conservative leaders and the media. It is necessary, as stated by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott following the collapse, to “remember that these are people’s family members who have lost their lives simply trying to make transit better for the rest of us.”

Another claim has been that the power loss to the ship was caused by foreign interference in its routing and engine systems. Conspiracy theorists Alex Jones and Andrew Tate both responded to the attack by imagining the role that a foreign power played in causing the ship to lose power and crash into the bridge, spurring social media debate on their respective platforms. Jones used the collapse as a means to boost his own business, asserting that it marked the beginning of World War III. He then used this claim to justify selling doomsday supplies that one would need during the inevitable war. On Alex Jones’ website, Infowars, he stated that the collapse was “perfectly executed” and that it will “cripple the city of Baltimore at a time when they do not have the resources to recover.” However, the FBI has stated that there is no credible information of the power outage being caused by a cyber attack, nor any information proving that terrorism played a role.

Lastly, and likely the most detached from the actual event, is the idea that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies promoted by the Maryland Transportation Administration (MTA) and the engineers who built the Francis Scott Key Bridge led to its susceptibility to collapse after a cargo ship crash. Conservative leaders and the media immediately saw the bridge collapse as a way to boost their political agendas, which have been based recently around criticizing DEI policy. They argue that policies promoting a diverse workplace prioritize diversity over skill, thereby leading to workforces unequipped to perform the tasks they are assigned. Mayor Scott, who was labeled on conservative social media platforms as the “DEI Mayor,” stated at a March 27 press conference that when the conservative media labels someone as promoting DEI, “they really want to say the N-word.” Like all of the conspiracy theories behind the collapse, the idea that DEI played any role is completely baseless, but has continued to isolate conservatives from the national reckoning that followed the event.