The U.S. Coast Guard has dismissed a claim by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that reforms implemented by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were to blame for Saturday’s deadly Brooklyn Bridge crash, which resulted in the deaths of two passengers.
The incident involved a tall ship operated by the Mexican Navy that was hosting civilians on a harbor cruise when it reportedly lost power and veered off course, striking the bridge—a moment captured in dramatic video footage. In a Sunday press release, Schumer said he had been briefed on the crash and suggested the Coast Guard may not have been “fully functional during the incident” due to DOGE-related changes.
“We know that the Trump administration has been meddling in U.S. Coast Guard operations, from staffing to command and comms, and I have the general sense of a DOGE dysfunction in parts of the Coast Guard, to put it mildly,” Schumer wrote in a statement. “After being fully briefed on last night’s Brooklyn Bridge accident, one thing is very clear. There are many more questions than answers as to how the accident occurred and whether it could have been prevented.”
“There are indications that this service called the VTS may not have been fully or adequately functional in light of that hiring freeze. We don’t know the answer to that question. We need answers. If this were the case, the Brooklyn Bridge accident could be a national harbinger, demanding immediate attention,” the New York Democrat added.
“The current hiring freeze at the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, which the Coast Guard is part of, may have limited the ability of the Coast Guard to fully staff up at the VTS, the vehicle traffic service, the shore-wide system that provides quote air traffic control for the seas, especially in congested areas and restricted waters like New York Harbor,” he claimed.
The Coast Guard is responding to Senator Schumer’s comments, stating that he spoke out of turn. They clarified that the Vehicle Traffic System (VTS), which manages coastal traffic, was fully staffed and monitored at that time, even in light of the hiring freeze implemented during the Trump administration.
The Coast Guard told Fox News Digital that VTS was “fully functional during the incident and operating in accordance with established procedures to manage commercial traffic and facilitate safe navigation.”
“Our response included launching a crew from Station New York, establishing a temporary safety zone, and coordinating with NYPD, FDNY, and NYC DOT,” they added.
The deployment comes after New York Governor Eric Adams declared that the Mexican navy tall ship Cuauhtémoc “lost power and crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge.”
“At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” the mayor wrote on X.