After President Donald Trump took credit for the lack of commercial airline crashes in 2017, people thought of a few other things he could take credit for. Gun deaths were at the top of the list.
Trump tweeted early Tuesday to brag that he was “very strict” on commercial aviation last year.
“It was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!” Trump tweeted without explaining what he did to improve airline safety.
Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news – it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018
Retired astronaut Mark Kelly retorted that it’s really the Transportation Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and commercial airlines who should take credit for a relatively safe year of flying.
“If you’re going to take credit for zero airline deaths in 2017 then you should take responsibility for the tens of thousands of gun deaths, too,” Kelly tweeted.
Actually, it’s @USDOT, @FAANews, & @NASA —and especially the airlines— who deserve credit for this. But, if you’re going to take credit for zero airline deaths in 2017 then you should take responsibility for the tens of thousands of gun deaths, too. #lawsmatter https://t.co/vnSPBo76LF
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) January 2, 2018
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a nonprofit that documents gun-related incidents in the U.S., reported there were more than 15,000 deaths from guns in 2017. It’s the highest recorded number of gun-related deaths since the GVA began tracking incidents in 2014.
Kelly, whose wife former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot and injured in 2011, is an outspoken advocate for gun control.
Other people on Twitter trolled Trump’s claim, coming up with examples of statistics the president has no influence over.
Since taking office I have been very strict on Shark Attacks. Good news – it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record! https://t.co/yJ3vqA0nrQ
— Hank Epton (@HankEpton) January 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/jimbatz/status/948218006886268928
https://twitter.com/HarrisonCCole/status/948223338081587200
https://twitter.com/curtismharris/status/948220629567893504
https://twitter.com/therealKG6/status/948221253361401858
https://twitter.com/mcmoyer/status/948220618683682822
Since taking office I have been very strict on Drying Paint. Good news – it was just reported that All paint applied in 2017 is dry to the touch, the driest paint-year on record! https://t.co/1ykRl0t2pe
— Tourette Butler #nafo #fella (@williamsinct) January 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/ThatGuyFrmWork/status/948215613926801408
https://twitter.com/Samplat/status/948223316141191169
Hey was he also very strict on dental hygiene? Because that might explain why I had no cavities this year. pic.twitter.com/FeQGscu9mv
— Jason Kander (@JasonKander) January 2, 2018
H/T BuzzFeed
