Schumer Criticized for Linking Trump-Era Policies to Deadly Mexican Navy Ship Crash at Brooklyn Bridge

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is under fire after suggesting that Trump-era Coast Guard staffing policies may have contributed to a fatal accident in which a Mexican Navy tall ship collided with the Brooklyn Bridge, as per Fox News.

In a press release issued Sunday, Schumer said his office had been briefed on the incident, in which the 150-foot training vessel Cuauhtémoc reportedly lost propulsion, causing its masts to strike the bridge and killing two cadets.

Schumer noted that bridges like the Brooklyn span are critical transportation links and argued that “a hiring freeze implemented during the Trump administration” could have left the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) short-staffed. Without naming specific shortcomings, the senator said any staffing gaps might threaten the Coast Guard’s ability to monitor waterways and respond to emergencies.

“It is unacceptable that the Trump administration is potentially jeopardizing our national and economic security—as well as American lives,” he wrote.

The statement drew swift rebuttals from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Coast Guard. In a post on X, DHS said:

“Minority Leader Schumer’s accusations that a hiring freeze led to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Services not being adequately staffed are false.”

DHS added that the Coast Guard had been exempt from federal hiring freezes and that Saturday’s accident “had nothing to do with Vessel Traffic Services.” When a ship loses propulsion in a strong current, DHS said, responsibility lies with the vessel’s crew and available tug support.

A Coast Guard spokesperson told Fox News Digital that VTS New York “was fully functional during the incident, operating in accordance with established procedures.”

Several conservative commentators also took aim at Schumer’s remarks. Fox News contributor Guy Benson and radio host Mark Levin each criticized the senator on social media, characterizing his comments as politically motivated. DHS’s response was shared widely by critics who accused Schumer of attempting to shift blame.

Authorities say the Cuauhtémoc, a sail-training ship operated by the Mexican Navy, was navigating New York Harbor when it suffered a mechanical failure and drifted into the Brooklyn Bridge. Two cadets were fatally injured; their names have not been released.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Coast Guard are investigating the cause of the mechanical issue. Mexican officials have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and pledged full cooperation with U.S. investigators.