The U.S. Coast Guard indicated that as of 7:08 a.m. ET on Thursday, the crew of the Titanic-bound OceanGate submersible had run out of breathable air.
Hours earlier, while oxygen and hope were running dangerously low, the New Republic, a progressive-liberal publication, decided to focus not on the fate of the potentially doomed adventurers, but rather publish an article concerning the Republican affiliation of a suffocating man, crew member and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
The article was met with fierce denunciations online, with some critics suggesting it was a "disgusting" effort to justify partisans' schadenfreude. The backlash was of such a magnitude that the New Republic yanked its corresponding Twitter post from the platform.
In the article, entitled, "OceanGate CEO Missing in Titanic Sub Had History of Donating to GOP Candidates," staff writer Daniel Strauss noted, "Public campaign finance records indicate that Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate currently stuck on the missing Titan submersible that was running a tourist expedition of the Titanic wreck, has been a consistent Republican donor over the years."
Strauss indicated that "Rush was not a Republican megadonor, but his donations over the years leaned heavily toward Republican candidates," intimating that he was not even redeemable by virtue of possibly being a "RINO."
The article highlighted how the OceanGate CEO had donated $1,500 to former Republican Rep. John Culberson, noting, "Culberson had a 100 percent scorecard rating from the conservative Family Research Council, a 92 percent lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, and a 4 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters."
Strauss appeared to situate his special focus amid a broader trend of "increasing scrutiny on OceanGate and its top executives."
Investigative reporter Matt Taibbi responded to the article on Twitter, writing, "Welp, I guess we should hope they all die slowly and gasping in terror, then. Congrats @newrepublic you found a new low on Twitter!"
National Journalism Center program director T. Becket Adams wrote, "Not sure which is more interesting: that this was published by a team, and not one person thought to say, 'this is extremely gross,' or the headline's use of the past tense 'had,' as if the New Republic knows something the rest of us don't."
Adams added, "The entire article – from top to bottom – is like a work of art. A how-to for how NOT to do journalism. It's beautiful, really, in a hilariously moronic sort of way."
Nicholas Fondacaro, associate editor at NewsBusters, tweeted, "The New Republic thinks the CEO of Oceangate deserves to suffocate on the bottom of the ocean because he supported Republicans."
Radio host Tony Katz of 93.1FM WIBC suggested, "When you lose your humanity, this is what you write about."
Fox News' Janice Dean wrote, "Wow. What if the missing CEO had donated to the other party? How disgusting and pathetic."
Fox News Digital indicated that commentator Noam Blum responded, "What the f*** is wrong with you?"
After removing the article from Twitter amid the backlash, the New Republic proceeded to run another piece, this time bemoaning the massive interest in the fate of the OceanGate Titan crew. Staff writer Alex Shephard suggested that the media has otherwise ignored the frequent maritime deaths of illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean, writing, "With luck, its passengers will be found alive. But it also showcases a press that will rapidly turn its attention to some issues while leaving other glaring omissions in its coverage."
The New Republic was not alone in mulling over the prospect of Republicans suffering in the briny depths.
Elie Mystal, a leftist MSNBC contributor and correspondent for the Nation, entertained the notion of conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Justice similarly sinking to the ocean floor, tweeting, "Next time some rich white person wants to take Sam Alito on an expensive trip, please take him to see the Titanic."
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A submersible bound for the wreckage of the Titanic has gone missing in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, CTV News reported Monday.
"We are bringing all assets to bear to try to find the submersible," Rear Admiral John Mauger, U.S. Coast Guard First District Commander, said in an interview on Fox News Channel's "America Reports" Monday afternoon.
"We were notified yesterday afternoon, and we began immediately to mobilize assets to search both the surface of the water, search from the air, and then also launch equipment that would enable us to detect any vessels under the water."
"The good news is ... this particular submersible is advertised to have 96 hours of survival time. .. That gives us some time to continue to use all means to try to locate the crew members."
The vessel is operated by OceanGate Expeditions. An eight-day, seven-night tour to visit the wreckage costs about $250,000, according to a recently archived version of the now-unreachable website.
"We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely," an OceanGate Expeditions spokesperson told CTV Monday.
"Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families."
"We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible," the OceanGate Expeditions spokesperson also said.
The missing vessel is reportedly designed to surface automatically if it encounters an issue.
Mauger described the search and rescue operations as "very complicated."
"Anything is possible at this point," Mauger said, adding that the vessel is about 900 miles from the U.S. coast in Massachusetts.
He said C-130 Coast Guard aircraft have been launched. An aircraft that was in the area that normally is on "international iceberg patrol" has been retasked to help search on the surface. Aircraft from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, have also been deployed to the scene.
"It is a large area of water, and it is complicated by local weather conditions, as well," Mauger added of the comprehensive search efforts, which also involve authorities in Canada.
"We're looking into bringing additional vessels that are operating in the area," he said, including a research vessel that was within several hours of the missing submersible.
World explorer Hamish Harding's family confirmed on Facebook that he is among the five people in the missing submersible, according to the New York Post.
Harding reportedly also paid to ride the Blue Origin rocket last year.
The Titanic sank in 1912. It sits roughly 12,500 feet below the surface.
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