1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

As representatives of North Carolina, we would hope that our leaders would speak up against this irresponsible reaction to a tragedy, and provide much-needed leadership and empathy in their own roles. Instead of showing leadership during this difficult time, President Trump has chosen to play politics by baselessly implicating diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as potential contributing factors to the accident. This is not only disrespectful to the victims and their grieving families, but also a gross misrepresentation of the facts. The investigation into the cause of this disaster has only just begun, and there is currently no evidence whatsoever to suggest that DEI policies played any role. Trump's remarks betray a fundamental lack of empathy and leadership. We should be focused on supporting the ongoing investigation and honoring the lives lost, not engaging in baseless accusations and political point-scoring.