President Donald Trump criticized former President Joe Biden and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies during a White House news conference on Thursday, following a tragic collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C. the night before.
Trump suggested that DEI policies "could have been" a factor in the incident, which resulted in the deadliest U.S. plane crash since November 2001. However, he did not provide any evidence to support the claim that these policies were related to the crash.
When a reporter questioned whether he was prematurely linking the collision to DEI, Trump responded, "Because I have common sense, OK?" Initially, he expressed condolences to the victims’ families but quickly redirected his focus to attacking his political opponents and criticizing DEI programs.
The crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday as the American Airlines flight was preparing to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The helicopter collided with the jet approximately 400 feet above the Potomac River, leading to the deaths of all 64 passengers on the plane and three soldiers aboard the helicopter. Hundreds of first responders worked to search the Potomac River, where both aircraft fell. As of Thursday, at least 28 bodies had been recovered.
At the start of the press conference, Trump requested a moment of silence for the victims, saying, "Today, we are all heartbroken." Yet, within minutes, he launched into criticisms of Biden and former President Barack Obama, claiming that upon taking office in 2017, he improved U.S. aviation standards, which he alleged were downgraded once Biden assumed the presidency.
Trump cited critiques of diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), pointing out language from the FAA’s website emphasizing the hiring of individuals with “targeted disabilities.” However, this language had been present since at least 2013, encompassing Trump’s entire first term in office.
Last week, Trump issued a memo aimed at eliminating what the White House referred to as "Biden DEI hiring programs." During the press conference, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s sentiments, asserting that hiring should be based on merit rather than diversity.
Trump also criticized Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, labeling him a "disaster" and accusing him of being insincere. Buttigieg responded on social media, calling Trump’s remarks "despicable" and highlighting the safety measures taken during his administration, asserting that they achieved zero commercial airline crash fatalities.
In her response, Rep. Ilhan Omar condemned Trump’s statements as "disgusting, racist and sexist," pointing out that his administration’s words were directed at minorities and women while the tragedy remained under investigation.
Despite his denunciations of former administrations, Trump stated that air travel is "very safe" and that the U.S. has the "safest flying anywhere in the world."
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting the investigation into the crash, aided by the FAA, American Airlines, and other parties involved. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom emphasized in a staff communication that the NTSB would provide the definitive account of the accident, stressing the importance of accuracy moving forward.
During the press conference, Trump announced the appointment of Christopher Rocheleau as the acting commissioner of the FAA, noting that Rocheleau had previously been the FAA’s deputy administrator since January 21. The FAA has not had a permanent head since former Administrator Mike Whitaker’s departure on January 20, the day Trump took office.
— Additional reporting by CNBC’s Leslie Josephs.
