In the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, hate influencer Chaya Raichik—best known as the woman behind the anti-LGBTQ+ "Libs of TikTok" social media accounts—used a happy photo of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, activist Chasten Buttigieg, to cast doubt on Buttigieg's response to the tragedy.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge occurred early Tuesday when a container ship struck the structure, causing it to crumble like a house of cards into the Patapsco River. The tragic event resulted in the deaths of six individuals who were working on the bridge at the time and led to the closure of one of the nation's busiest ports.
Despite initial hopes of finding survivors, the search for the missing individuals quickly turned into a grim recovery mission as authorities expressed doubts about the chances of locating anyone alive.
Raichik was quick to insert her thoughts on the tragedy with an attack on the Buttigieges, writing the following message accompanied by a photo of them looking happy on a swing:
"Guys don't worry. Mayor Pete is on his way to Baltimore and will get to the bottom of the bridge collapse!”
You can see her post and the image below.
@ChayaRaichik10/X
The connection between the image and the bridge collapse remains unclear. However, given Raichik's history, many interpreted her post as insinuating that Buttigieg's sexual orientation renders him incapable of addressing the disaster.
Raichik was criticized as a result.
As the search and rescue response to the collapse continued, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath stated that the likelihood of finding survivors was slim, considering the frigid water and the lack of sightings since the bridge's collapse.
Governor Moore told CNN there “needs to be a full and thorough investigation" into the collapse, adding that "there needs to be a full reckoning, a full accountability, and I think we need to go wherever the investigation takes us to make sure that the people of our jurisdictions are safe.”
Buttigieg himself told the network the Department of Transportation (DOT) would ensure that “if any private party is responsible for and accountable for this, that they will be held accountable.” He added that "we got to tear down every obstacle, physical, financial, and administrative, that means using all the tools that we have as a department, and very likely working with Congress as well to rebuild the bridge."
