CNN Analyst Apologizes After Social Media Post
The rush to score political points in the face of tragedy is nothing new, but CNN analyst Bakari Sellers found himself at the center of a firestorm after making an unfounded claim about former President Donald Trump in the immediate aftermath of a devastating plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Sellers, in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), attempted to tie the crash to an air traffic control hiring freeze that he attributed to Trump—despite having no evidence to suggest any link between the policy and the tragic accident.
He shared a partial screenshot of a statement from House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Democrats, selectively cropping the headline to remove critical context. His post read, “8 days ago,” followed by the words, “Trump’s Dangerous Freeze of Air Traffic Control Hiring.” However, as the Washington Free Beacon pointed out, the full statement included additional details that Sellers conveniently omitted.
I deleted the post because timing matters. Politics at this point does not. I fucked up, I own that. I am very prayerful but I’m also very frustrated upset and disturbed with where we are as a country. I recognize, and I will do better.
The only thing that matters is rescuing…
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) January 30, 2025
The backlash was swift. Social media users quickly called out the CNN analyst for what they saw as a blatant attempt to politicize the tragedy before the facts were even clear. Critics accused Sellers of prioritizing partisan attacks over empathy for the victims and their families.
Realizing his mistake, Sellers deleted the post and issued a mea culpa, admitting, “I f***ed up, I own that.” He acknowledged that “timing matters” and said, “Politics at this point does not.” In an effort to show remorse, he added, “I recognize, and I will do better.”
But for many, the damage was done. Comments flooded in, condemning Sellers for what they saw as a reckless and unfounded accusation. One user wrote, “You deleted the post because dozens of Americans are currently being fished out of the Potomac, and rather than have reverence for the victims, you chose to dishonestly (and despicably) blame @realDonaldTrump.”
Others called the post “horrid” and “pathetic,” arguing that it exemplified a broader problem in today’s hyper-partisan media landscape.