Despite the fact that the investigation into the deadly accident is still ongoing, President Donald Trump hinted Thursday at his first press conference since the plane crash over the Potomac River that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives may be to blame.
Trump stated Thursday morning that we must appoint our most intelligent individuals to serve as air traffic controllers. It makes no difference who they are, how they speak, or how they seem. They must be gifted, gifted by nature. Geniuses. Ordinary folks cannot perform their jobs. This job cannot be performed by ordinary persons. We’ll rebuild trust in American aviation, even though they can’t.
Trump talked extensively about the Federal Aviation Administration’s DEI programs, especially those implemented under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He referenced the FAA’s admission that workers with impairments are underemployed.
According to the FAA website, “people with severe disabilities are the most underrepresented segment of the workforce, that they want them” to be “air traffic controllers,” Trump claimed one week before to taking office. I don’t believe so.
The Biden administration hired “people with’severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA” under diversity, equality, and inclusion employment, according to a White House letter released later on Thursday.
As far as we know, there are no people with severe intellectual disabilities working as air traffic controllers in the United States or anywhere else, according to Timothy Shriver, chairman of the board for the Special Olympics, a sports organization for people with disabilities, who made this statement on Instagram.
Additionally, Trump blasted Biden’s predecessor, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, labeling him a failure. However, Trump refrained from directly blaming the programs for Wednesday night’s midair collision when questioned by reporters.
Trump responded, “It just could have been,” when asked if he thought diversity hiring contributed to the catastrophe.
Trump continued by criticizing the Obama and Biden administrations for allegedly lowering air traffic controller standards in support of DEI. He claimed that their politics were even worse than their terrible program.
He noted that after a group at the FAA concluded that the workforce was overly white, they worked hard to persuade the government to make the change right away. This occurred during the Obama presidency.
“We have to hold everyone who works in our aviation system to the highest standards,” Trump stated.
Near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday evening, an American Eagle flight carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, crashed in midair with an Army helicopter carrying three people. Trump affirmed that no survivors were found.
The disaster happened during a regular, yearly (Army) retraining, night flights in a regular route, for a continuity of government mission, according to newly appointed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The military engages in risky activities. It regularly performs ordinary tasks. Unfortunately, something went wrong last night.
Trump signed an executive order on his second day in office that eliminated DEI programs at the FAA and throughout the federal government.
According to him, his directive was extremely effective in raising the bar for air traffic controllers.
Reporters questioned the president on Thursday if he was advancing the crash inquiry by asserting a link between DEI programs.
Trump’s response was straightforward: “I have common sense, okay?”
Former Army helicopter pilot and DEI consultant Reed Kimbrough told NBC News that Trump’s remarks surprised him.
“To say those things that had no bearing on any facts, and a lack of credible information is just it’s just jarring,” noted Black Kimbrough. “It is unsettling to turn this into an attack on DEI while families are in mourning. It is truly unacceptable to politicize a tragedy, show a lack of empathy, and use foul language during a press conference.
Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, told NBC press that he was “disgusted” by the president’s remarks and said that Trump had used the press conference to further his political agenda.
“Instead of giving us the leadership we require and deserve, the President has made it apparent that he prioritizes politics above people by using the highest position in the nation to promote hatred based on lies.
We are pleased to see thousands of first responders in the DMV region come together to support the massive recovery work occurring on the Potomac, Johnson stated in reference to emergency response from personnel in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Trump appeared to absolve air traffic control later in the press conference by claiming that the chopper was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Trump moderated his remarks when he addressed the media later Thursday afternoon, stating that DEI might have “contributed to the crash.”I’m not sure; perhaps incompetence was a factor. We’ll tell you that, but we’re looking for the best candidates, regardless of their race. Particularly for those roles, we want the most qualified individuals.
The White House document on the crash, however, contrasted the outcomes of DEI programs in other administrations.
“On my second day in office,” it says, “I ordered an immediate return to merit-based hiring, promotion, and recruitment, elevating ability and safety as the paramount standard.” Tragically, yesterday’s terrible accident highlights the necessity for the FAA to prioritize competence and safety.
In support of the Trump administration’s air traffic management regulations, the White House posted on X Thursday.
According to the post, the Trump administration declared in 2018 that it will eliminate an Obama-era standard that penalized qualified candidates.
During Trump’s first term in office, the FAA said in an April 2019 announcement that its Office of Civil Rights would seek out possibilities for individuals with certain disabilities and enroll up to 20 individuals in its Aviation Development Program.
According to the FAA, applicants in this program will be given the same thorough evaluation in terms of aptitude, medical, and security requirements as those who are evaluated for a regular public position as an air traffic controller.
Everyone in aviation, especially those in safety-critical positions, must adhere to certain criteria, according to John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and an aviation commentator for NBC News. Whether they are air traffic controllers, flight attendants, pilots, or dispatchers. As a result, the standards have remained constant. Furthermore, I believe it is, at the very least, extremely premature and factually unfounded to claim that these pilots or the controllers were anyway below par without any supporting data.
In a post on X, Buttigieg swiftly reacted to the president’s statements, calling them “despicable.”
“As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he stated.
“President Trump is now in charge of the FAA and the military. His initial actions included suspending and firing some of the important staff members who contributed to the safety of our skies. “It’s time for the President to demonstrate true leadership and outline his plans to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Buttigieg stated.
Citing Trump’s first term in office, when he signed an executive order to modernize the government, the White House reacted to the criticism directed at the president.
“Improving safety has been at the heart of the role and my career,” said Billy Nolen, a Black acting FAA administrator under Biden. That will entail looking into what transpired in this instance.
“That’s what we owe to the American people and, of course, to the families,” he stated.
Air traffic controllers have been in short supply at the FAA for years. Black pilot Tennesse Garvey, who has been flying for 22 years, recently told NBC News that getting rid of DEI may make demand worse.
According to Garvey, there has never been evidence that DEI results in any safety problems since it doesn’t. And how can DEI be the issue if there is a problem with American aviation?Only 4 percent of pilots in this space are Black.
Retired Army general Barry McCaffrey expressed his disgust on Thursday on MSNBC at Trump’s criticism of his two Democratic predecessors and the FAA’s diversity criteria. He declared that partisan politics had no place at this time.