Congressman Eric Swalwell found himself in hot water this week after publicly linking a recent small plane crash in Georgia to former President Donald Trump. Swalwell's comments, made on social media and later reiterated to Fox News Digital, asserted that Trump was responsible for air safety and thus accountable for all crashes during his presidency.

This claim sparked immediate backlash, with White House communications director Steven Cheung condemning Swalwell's words as "false and disgusting" and suggesting they stemmed from either foreign influence or "Trump Derangement Syndrome." Cheung further criticized Swalwell as a "disgrace" both as an elected official and as a person.

Data from the National Transportation Safety Board's CAROL database appears to contradict Swalwell's assertion. While the database records five fatal aviation incidents during Trump's initial month in office, it shows ten such incidents during the same period of President Biden's term.

Social media users also responded critically to Swalwell's post, questioning the basis for his connection between the crash and Trump's policies. Some users suggested Swalwell was suffering from "TDS" (Trump Derangement Syndrome) and advised him to "take a walk."

The plane crash in question occurred late Saturday night in Covington, Georgia. A single-engine aircraft lost contact with ground control shortly after takeoff and was later found crashed near the runway, resulting in the death of both occupants.

The Covington Police Department released a statement confirming the timeline of events and the lack of communication from the aircraft after takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident.

This incident follows several other recent plane crashes, including a highly publicized midair collision between a helicopter and a commercial airliner in Washington, D.C. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has addressed the public multiple times regarding these recent aviation accidents.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has addressed the public regarding recent plane crashes. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Wreckage from a plane crash in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. (Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles, U.S. Coast Guard via AP)