Richmond, VA – A couple of brutal new reports call attention to Hung Cao shamefully blaming the tragedy of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing on racial equity.  

The morning after a cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Hung Cao went on a conservative talk radio show host and agreed with the host’s assessment that blamed the tragedy on  having a “Secretary of Transportation in Pete Buttigieg who spends more time talking about racial equity with regard to highways and about climate change than about focusing on the fundamentals of keeping our country and our infrastructure working.” Cao agreed with the host and even added, “Like you said, they’re so worried about other things, you know, instead of infrastructure.”  

Cao opposed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – including vital funding for roads, bridges, and ports – which is further proof Cao is more interested in playing politics than finding real solutions for Virgina.  

And when confronted with his shameful statement blaming this tragedy on racial equity, Cao doubled down, tweeting, “Fact check: true. Deal with it.” 

"Instead of offering support and prayers to our neighbors in Maryland, Hung Cao is using this tragedy to spread racist lies and play politics," said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. "His despicable comments prove he is unfit to be a United States Senator, and he owes Virginians and Marylanders an apology." 

Read more below:  
 
Washington Post (Maegan Vazquez, March 28, 2024): Republicans put forth unfounded and sometimes racist theories on bridge collapse 

• After Tuesday’s deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, some Republican officials, candidates and right-wing pundits attempted to connect the tragedy to some of their most frequent political targets: diversity initiatives, illegal immigration, coronavirus lockdowns and the Biden administration. And early reaction to the incident also provided fresh ground for unfounded theories that the collapse was not an accident at all. 
• Anthony Sabatini, a Florida congressional candidate, blamed DEI for the bridge collapse in a post on X the morning of the collapse. And Hung Cao, a Republican challenging Sen. Tim Kaine (D) in Virginia, expressed similar frustrations, agreeing with conservative radio host Larry O’Connor, who said Buttigieg “spends more time talking about racial equity with regard to highways and about climate change than about focusing on the fundamentals of keeping our country and our infrastructure working.” 
• “They should have had the anchors ready to drop … so that you don’t run into the bridge. But like you said, they’re so worried about other things instead of infrastructure,” Cao, a Navy veteran, said in an appearance on “O’Connor & Company” on Tuesday morning. 

American Journal News (Jesse Valentine. March 29, 2024): GOP Senate candidate Hung Cao blames racial equity for Baltimore bridge tragedy 

• Hung Cao, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in Virginia, blamed the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster on racial equity. He’s one of several Republicans to make this baseless claim. 
• In the early hours of March 26, a cargo ship that lost power collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which stretched over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland. The bridge collapsed as a result. Six construction workers repairing potholes on the structure lost their lives. 
• Later that same morning, Cao appeared on the conservative talk radio program O’Connor and Company. The host, Larry O’Connor, said, without evidence, that efforts by the Department of Transportation to end racist urban planning practices were responsible for the tragedy. 
• “There is a feeling in this country that things just aren’t working, from airplane doors falling off to the train wrecks on a regular basis.” O’Connor said. “We have now this incident. We have a Secretary of Transportation in Pete Buttigieg who spends more time talking about racial equity with regard to highways and about climate change than about focusing on the fundamentals of keeping our country and our infrastructure working.” 
• Cao said this assessment was “absolutely right” and doubled down on it a few moments later. 
• “Like you said, they’re so worried about other things, you know, instead of infrastructure,” Cao said. 
• In addition to agreeing with O’Connor’s analysis, Cao said the ship’s crew was partially responsible for not dropping an anchor. This is incorrect. The crew did drop anchors after the outage occurred. Even with anchors deployed, ships of this size will still travel 500 to 600 yards before coming to a stop. 
• Cao is a retired U.S. Navy captain. If he secures the Republican nomination he will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in the November election. 

• Kaine posted about the tragedy on the social media platform X. 
• “The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is devastating,” Kaine said. “My heart is with our neighbors in Maryland today. Thankful for the first responders on the scene.” 
• On March 28, President Joe Biden’s administration made $60 million in federal funds available to help rebuild the bridge. 
• Virginia’s Republican primary is scheduled for June 18. A Cao spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions for this story. 

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