Although 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 the reason.
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.
According to a White House statement released later Thursday, the Biden administration used diversity, fairness, and inclusion employment practices when recruiting “individuals with’severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA.”
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 posted 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 his criticism of the Obama and Biden administrations, claiming that they had relaxed 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 Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday evening, an American Eagle flight from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members crashed in midair with an Army helicopter carrying three persons. Trump affirmed that no survivors were found.
“The accident happened during a routine, annual [Army] retraining, night flights on a standard corridor, for a continuity of government mission,” said 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 eliminating DEI programs across the federal government, including at the FAA, on his second day in office.
According to him, his directive was extremely effective in raising the bar for air traffic controllers.
On Thursday, reporters questioned him about whether his assertion that DEI initiatives were linked to the crash was an attempt to thwart the probe.
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,” described 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’re proud to see thousands of first responders in the DMV region come together to support the massive recovery efforts taking place on the Potomac,” Johnson stated in reference to emergency response from Washington, Maryland, and Virginia personnel.
Trump appeared to clear air traffic controllers later in his press conference by claiming that the chopper was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Trump softened his remarks when he addressed the media later Thursday afternoon, speculating that DEI might have “contributed to the crash.”I’m not sure; perhaps incompetence was a contributing factor. We’ll tell you that, but we’re looking for the best candidates. We don’t give a damn about 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.
The White House defended the Trump administration’s air traffic control tactics in a post on X on 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 a statement in April 2019 that it would enroll up to 20 individuals in its Aviation Development Program and that its Office of Civil Rights would seek out special opportunities for individuals with particular disabilities.
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.
“There are standards for everyone in aviation, especially in a safety-critical position, be it pilots, flight attendants, dispatchers, or air traffic controllers,” stated John Cox, CEO of Safety Operating Systems and an aviation analyst for NBC News. 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 response to Trump’s comments, Buttigieg said on X that they were “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.
Billy Nolen, a Black interim FAA administrator under Biden, stated that enhancing safety has been at the heart of both his job and his career. 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 diversity policies at the FAA and under his two Democratic predecessors. He declared that partisan politics had no place at this time.