President Trump, amidst a tragedy involving a plane crash and helicopter collision near Washington, D.C., blamed the Federal Aviation Administration's diversity initiatives for the incident, making unsubstantiated claims and sparking widespread condemnation.
An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. The crash sparked a large-scale search-and-rescue operation in the Potomac River. The plane's wreckage was discovered upside down in three sections in waist-deep water, while the helicopter's debris was also found. President Donald Trump confirmed that there were no survivors.
Trump opened a news conference at the White House with a moment of silence for the victims but quickly shifted to assigning blame, making unsubstantiated claims about air traffic controllers, helicopter pilots, and Democratic policies at federal agencies. He specifically criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), alleging that its diversity initiatives had compromised air travel safety. Trump asserted his opinions despite the ongoing investigation and the lack of any determination regarding the FAA's potential role in the crash. While acknowledging that it was premature to draw conclusions, he urged the nation to pray for the victims but proceeded to assign blame. 'The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website,' Trump stated. He further claimed that the program allowed for the hiring of individuals with hearing and vision impairments, as well as those with paralysis, epilepsy, and 'dwarfism.' 'They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,' he said. 'You can't have regular people doing their job.' Trump admitted he lacked evidence to support his claims that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and hiring preferences contributed to the crash, stating 'it just could have been' and defending his actions 'because I have common sense.' He attributed the crash, in part, to previous administrations' efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies, asserting 'Because I have common sense' when asked to elaborate. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York condemned Trump's spreading of conspiracy theories about the crash, calling it 'sickening.' 'It’s one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories,' Schumer said at the Capitol. 'It’s another for the president of the United States.' Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized Trump's remarks on Twitter, stating, 'As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying.' Buttigieg also noted that during his tenure as Transportation Secretary, 'it had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.' Trump's incendiary rhetoric further polarized the nation as he continued to attack Buttigieg and Democratic efforts to promote diversity at federal agencies
Donald Trump FAA Plane Crash Helicopter Collision Diversity Pete Buttigieg Chuck Schumer Ronald Reagan National Airport
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