Donald Trump continued his busy morning on social media by taking credit for the lack of people killed on commercial air flights. As expected, critics of the president were quick to speak out.
Trump on air travel
It's no secret that President Donald Trump thinks highly of himself. Even before he became a candidate for president, Trump was known for his massive ego as a billionaire real estate mogul all the way to his days hosting "The Apprentice." Throughout his entire campaign, and since the start of his presidency last January, Trump has found ways to take credit for the positives taking place in the country, while deflecting the blame onto others for anything negative that might come up.
After spending his morning tweeting about the Democratic Party, immigration reform, North Korea, and the new publisher at the New York Times, the president turned his attention to a new report noting that there were no deaths during commercial flights in 2017. In a tweet on January 2, Trump decided to give himself credit over the issue.
Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018
As part of his tweetstorm on Tuesday morning, Donald Trump commented on news from the Aviation Safety Network which reported that there were no deaths on commercial flights in 2017.
"Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation," Trump claimed. "Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!" he added.
While Trump is right that there were no deaths on commercial flights in 2017, he neglected to mention that the last reported death on a commercial flight was back in 2009.
In addition, little is known what the president has done when it comes to the issue of flight safety with the exception of pushing a failed bill in Congress that would have privatized air-traffic control.
Instant reaction
In response to his tweet on air traffic safety, Donald Trump received backlash. "OMG Give me a break. Are you seriously trying to take credit for that?" Greg Shugar wrote on Twitter.
OMG Give me a break. Are you seriously trying to take credit for that?
— Greg Shugar (@GregShugar) January 2, 2018
Yes, this is unbelievably stupid, but also one of his most telling tweets. He’s taking credit for literally nothing. 1/ https://t.co/AuXdZI0lBQ
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) January 2, 2018
If only you'd gotten "very strict" on mass shootings. 2017 was the worst and deadliest year on record. PS. If you can't be blamed for that, you can't take credit for this. https://t.co/JPrLBz7n8o
— James Morrison (@JamesPMorrison) January 2, 2018
"You know Trump is a sicko when he takes credit for no aviation deaths instead of crediting pilots, airlines, transportation safety & air traffic control!
What an arrogant, self absorbed egomaniacal little twit!" Bishop Talbert Swan tweeted back. "If only you'd gotten "very strict" on mass shootings. 2017 was the worst and deadliest year on record. PS. If you can't be blamed for that, you can't take credit for this," James Morrison added.
We have super safe commercial aviation, and we have for decades. Stop trying to take credit for everything good in the world. Most likely nothing good has come from your presidency!
— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) January 2, 2018
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) January 2, 2018
"Yes, this is unbelievably stupid, but also one of his most telling tweets. He’s taking credit for literally nothing," Jared Yates Sexton wrote.
"We have super safe commercial aviation, and we have for decades. Stop trying to take credit for everything good in the world. Most likely nothing good has come from your presidency!" yet another tweet added.
