Utah Lawmaker Claims Nation’s 'Diversity' Efforts Behind Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Utah state representative Phil Lyman. (AP/file)

Utah state representative Phil Lyman has sparked a row by blaming the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for a huge container ship plowing into and knocking down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, leaving six people missing and presumed dead on Tuesday, reported NBC News.

“This is what happens when you have governors who prioritize diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens,” Lyman, a Republican running for governor, said in a post on X.

Lyman’s post comprised a retweet of the Young Conservative Federation, which wrote: “Let’s meet the Commissioners for the Port of Baltimore, starting with Karenthia A. Barber. She knows nothing about Ports, but she is a ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) auditor and consultant.’”

The post had a photo and bio of Barber, a Black woman.  Later, Lyman posted, “DEI=DIE.”

Barber is one of six commissioners serving at least three-year terms overseeing the Port of Baltimore.

BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE

Six workers were missing and presumed dead from a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday after a massive cargo ship crippled by a power loss rammed into the structure, forcing the closure of one of the busiest ports on the US Eastern Seaboard.

With dive teams facing increasingly treacherous conditions in the darkened, wreckage-strewn waters, active search-and-rescue operations were suspended about 18 hours after the accident, US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials said.