By Zeke Miller and Chris Megerian
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the nation reeled from the deadliest American aviation disaster in more than two decades, President Donald Trump on Jan. 30 used the occasion to launch into a diatribe against diversity hiring, baselessly blaming DEI initiatives for undermining air safety.
Sixty-seven people are believed to have died in the Jan. 29 evening crash, which occurred while a flight from Wichita, Kansas, was landing at Washington Reagan National Airport. As Trump spoke, the federal investigation was just beginning and first responders were still working to recover bodies from the Potomac River.
Officials have not yet to formally establish the causes of the collision, and Trump himself acknowledged that it was too soon to draw conclusions as he encouraged the country to pray for the victims. But he quickly moved to engage in speculation and political attacks, at a moment when Americans traditionally look to the presidency for comfort, assurance and facts.
“Some really bad things happened and some things happened that shouldn’t have happened,” the Republican president said from the White House briefing room, just over 3 miles or 5 kilometers from the scene of the disaster.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden’s administration for encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit workers “who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.” He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”
Trump did not share any evidence that unqualified people were being put in critical positions like air traffic control, and he acknowledged that there was as yet no indication that air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport made any mistakes.
Asked why he was blaming diversity initiatives, Trump said, “because I have common sense, and unfortunately a lot of people don’t.”
Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be brilliant to ensure safety.
“They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he said. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”
Trump complained specifically about Pete Buttigieg, who was Biden’s transportation secretary and was a contender to challenge Trump for the White House in 2020, calling him “a disaster.”
“He’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Trump said, adding profanity to his description of Buttigieg.
Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump’s comments “despicable.”
“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he added.
As if to underscore Trump’s point, the White House invited reporters into the Oval Office to watch him sign another executive order that officials said would stop “woke policies” in federal aviation. Trump had already signed an executive order ending diversity initiatives at the FAA last week.
“We want the most competent people,” Trump said. “We don’t care what race they are.”
Asked if he plans to visit the crash site, Trump said he would meet with family members of the victims.
“What’s the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?” the president said.
The plane crash was the first major disaster of Trump’s new term, and his response evoked his frequent — and controversial — briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of the pandemic helped sour voters on him as he failed to win reelection in 2020.
After telling the families of the dead that “our hearts are shattered alongside yours” and leading a moment of silence, Trump proceeded to speculate about what had occurred. “We do not know what led to this crash but we have some very strong opinions,” he said.
Trump wondered if the helicopter pilot was wearing night vision goggles, declared that “you had a pilot problem” and that the helicopter was “going at an angle that was unbelievably bad.” He questioned why the Army pilot didn’t change course, saying that “you can stop a helicopter very quickly.”
He also mused about the air traffic controllers, saying of the two aircraft, “for whatever reason they were at the same elevation,” adding “they should have been at a different height.”
Even as Trump rushed to publicly ponder reasons for the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board was more circumspect as it begins examining what happened.
“We look at facts on our investigation, and that will take some time,” said Jennifer Homendy, the board’s chair.
Democrats criticized Trump’s remarks on Jan. 30.
“It’s one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories, it’s another for the president of the United States,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
“In a post-truth Republican world, evidence doesn’t matter to Donald Trump: all that matters is how tragedy can be used to benefit his party and his career,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30) in a statement.
The Congressional Black Caucus member pointed out that contradictory to conservative claims that DEI initiatives are blocking White aviation professionals from the workforce, federal government data compiled by Data USA found that 73 percent of air traffic controllers and airfield operations specialists surveyed identified as White, of which 18.6 percent were women and 81.4 percent men.
The outspoken lawmaker also noted that there wasn’t anybody in place to head the FAA amid the worst aviation disasters the U.S. has seen since Trump henchman Elon Musk pushed out the chief of the FAA on the day of the inauguration and the president didn’t appoint an acting replacement until after the crash.
Additionally,on his first day in office, Trump froze the hiring of federal employees—including air traffic controllers, despite a June 2023 finding by the Department of Transportation Inspector General that 77 percent of air traffic control facilities critical to the industry’s daily operations were short-staffed.
“Given these facts, I suggest that President Trump stop playing political games, end his attempts to freeze funding for our federal workforce, and focus on attracting and hiring qualified, experienced aviation professionals to safeguard our skies and save passenger lives,” Crockett added. “And importantly, I suggest he show some decency and respect for the people grieving their lost loved ones – it is literally the very least he can do. ”
Federal officials have been raising concerns about an overtaxed and understaffed air traffic control system for years, especially after a series of close calls between planes at U.S. airports. They have cited issues with competitive pay, long hours, intensive training and mandatory retirements for contributing to the staffing shortages.
“While these events are incredibly rare, our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore,” Homendy told lawmakers in 2023. Aviation experts issued a report around the same time saying that the FAA needs better staffing, equipment and technology.
. But his remarks quickly became a diatribe against diversity hiring and his allegation — so far without evidence — that lowered standards were to blame for the crash.
The 47th president variously pointed the finger at the helicopter’s pilot, air traffic control, his predecessor, Joe Biden, and other Democrats including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom he labeled a “disaster.” Buttigieg responded by calling Trump “despicable.”
The cause of the crash is still unknown. Authorities are investigating and have not publicly identified the cause or said who might have been responsible for the collision of an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army helicopter.
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