Mehdi Hasan’s Tone-Deaf Tweet on Plane Crashes Sparks Outrage
So, Mehdi Hasan had a little oops moment on social media when he decided to channel his inner comedian. The former MSNBC host took to X (formerly known as Twitter) with a quip that read, “Make American Plane Crash Again,” and let’s just say it didn’t land well. Responding to a tragic plane crash in Georgia that claimed the lives of a couple, Hasan’s sarcastic jab aimed at the Trump administration’s aviation policies quickly drew the ire of many, with claims of promoting violence swirling around. Yikes!
After facing backlash from “MAGA and Islamophobic folks” – his words, not ours – Hasan had to backtrack. He later tweeted, “This tweet was in poor taste, poorly worded, and has allowed people in bad faith to call me a terrorist,” acknowledging that this was clearly not the moment to joke around, despite intending to be satirical. In his follow-up, he highlighted the absurdity that people were treating his quip as if he was inciting terror, even mentioning a reporter from the New York Post tagging the FBI. You know it’s gotten out of hand when the Feds get involved!
Interestingly, Hasan’s post came after a series of alarming aviation incidents, including a dramatic crash of Delta Air Lines Flight 4819 shortly after underlining the dangers facing air travel. Although none of the 80 passengers and crew tragically lost their lives in this incident, it laid bare the precarity of aerial safety, especially under current FAA staffing levels that have seen significant cutbacks since Trump’s administration.
The tension escalated on February 17 when Hasan engaged with Ohio’s Vice President, J.D. Vance, arguing about free speech in the context of media censorship. Vance shot back at Hasan, calling him a “dummy,” which just adds another layer to this weird social media saga.
Across the board, aviation-related incidents have seen a concerning uptick lately. For context, January saw more aviation calamities, including an American Airlines flight colliding with a military helicopter and a tragic medical jet crash in Philadelphia that resulted in seven fatalities. It’s clear that air travel safety is on everyone’s radar, making Hasan’s dark humor about crashes feel even more misplaced.
In a time when we’re all getting used to navigating social media’s precarious waters, let’s just hope Hasan’s lesson is don’t joke about plane crashes!
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and People Magazine, USA Today
