“Although many claim President Trump has narcissistic tendencies, it appears he is truly humbled around those who dedicate their lives to law enforcement and firefighting professions.”
While anti-Trump protestors demanded President Donald Trump’s tax details, the White House rolled out the red carpet and honored Atlanta’s first responders who courageously handled the I-85 bridge inferno and subsequent collapse. With palpable respect in the room, President Trump convened on April 13th and commemorated attendees representing the Atlanta Fire/Rescue Department, the Atlanta Police Department, and the Georgia Department of Public Safety (Georgia State Patrol). President Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, was also in attendance and offered Mr. Trump’s immediate physical and financial support to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and the Atlanta metropolis.
In typical and admirable fashion, President Trump came to the table with a prepared commemorative speech attesting to the guest’s heroic deeds. President Trump also took the opportunity to reiterate his infrastructure aspirations, using the I-85 debacle to underscore the need for national roadway reparations to avoid other similar dilemmas.
The main antagonist, 39-year-old Basil Newman Eleby, was officially charged with igniting the fire. Two co-conspirators, identified as Barry Thomas and Sophia Bruner, were allegedly present at the time Eleby set the fire, and were charged with criminal trespassing. I am eager to see how their stories unfold and wether they will offer testimony against Eleby in exchange for lighter sentences. Regardless, none of the three parties had a legal right to be under the bridge owned by the government. Given that I-85 is an interstate coursing through the nation, the federal government has a jurisdictional hand in the mix.
There is an allegation via Mr. Eleby’s five self-appointed free-of-charge attorneys that the state of Georgia is a culpable entity, citing that the Georgia Department of Transportation had stored materials under the bridge overpass. The implication is that without the materials stored by the state government, the fire would not have had its thrust and severity. Georgia state authorities refute that claim, explaining that it is not uncommon for government to store materials on government property. Allegedly, the material ignited by Eleby was non-combustible plastic cabling wrapped around large spools.
Although it may not be clear what role government-stored products played in the inferno, it is crystal clear that three individuals, presumably smoking dope and playing with fire, had no right to be there. For Eleby’s attorneys to suggest he is being “scapegoated” by state authorities is intriguing. To be an effective criminal defense lawyer, one must point the finger in a direction other than one’s own client.
Clearly, something was flammable, ignited, and capable of creating enough heat to cause the bridge to collapse. Fortunately, lives were spared, thanks to the expedient efforts of public safety officials.
The combined forces of Atlanta’s firefighters, police officers, and the Georgia State Patrol unequivocally saved a myriad of lives during the height of rush-hour congestion. Albeit structurally catastrophic, the toll could have been far worse.
As President Trump attested to several times at his latest luncheon for public safety officers, first responders are in a uniquely perilous position. The supportive sentiments Mr. Trump echoed in his presidential agenda last year, namely Standing Up for Our Law Enforcement Community, have carried through to his presidency.
Although many claim President Trump has narcissistic tendencies, it appears he is truly humbled around those who dedicate their lives to law enforcement and firefighting professions. Mr. Trump’s nuances are unbridled: he cajoles men and women in uniform, seems privileged to be in their company, is clearly enamored by their significant and selfless deeds, and repeats his mantra of how vital their performances are to our nation’s overall national security. It is a far cry from the prior administration’s ability to throw cops under the bus at every breath, every turn, and every opportunity to pander to ludicrous and hate-filled groups hell-bent on subversive tendencies.
Nonetheless, nothing shall take away from the efforts of the public safety community in the Peach State. Bravo for deftly containing the licking flames of a fiery beast and it’s chunky concrete fallout!
No matter how the legal entanglements in this case proceed, public safety assets in Atlanta fulfilled their oaths and fully-deserved the salutes they received while standing upon the rolled-out red carpet at the White House.
