WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� As the nation reeled from the deadliest American aviation disaster in more than two decades, President on Thursday baselessly blamed diversity initiatives for undermining air safety and questioned the actions of a U.S. Army helicopter pilot involved in the midair collision with a commercial airliner.
Sixty-seven people are believed to have , 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.
鈥淪ome really bad things happened and some things happened that shouldn鈥檛 have happened," the Republican president said from the White House briefing room, just over three miles or five kilometers from the scene of the disaster.
Trump blamed former President Joe Biden's administration for encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit workers 鈥渨ho suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative.鈥� He added that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and 鈥渄warfism.鈥�
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鈥檛.鈥�
Trump said air traffic controllers needed to be brilliant to ensure safety.
鈥淭hey have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have regular people doing their job.鈥�
Trump complained specifically about , who was Biden's transportation secretary and was a contender to challenge Trump for the White House in 2020, calling him 鈥渁 disaster.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 run it right into the ground with his diversity,鈥� Trump said, adding profanity to his description of Buttigieg.
Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump鈥檚 comments 鈥渄espicable.鈥�
鈥淎s 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 鈥渨oke policies鈥� in federal aviation. Trump had already signed an executive order ending diversity initiatives at the FAA last week.
鈥淲e want the most competent people," Trump said. "We don鈥檛 care what race they are.鈥�
Asked if he plans to visit the crash site, Trump said he would meet with family members of the victims.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?" the president said.
The FAA鈥檚 diversity efforts aren鈥檛 new. Before Trump鈥檚 administration removed them from the agency鈥檚 website this month, they were promoted there since at least 2013, including during Trump鈥檚 first term in office. Substantially similar language about seeking candidates with disabilities was on the site during both Biden鈥檚 term and Trump鈥檚 first term, according to snapshots from the Internet Archive.
Former FAA administrator Michael Whitaker responded to accusations that the agency was prioritizing diversity over qualified candidates last year, that while the FAA seeks qualified candidates from a range of sources, each must 鈥渕eet rigorous qualifications that of course vary by position.鈥�
The plane crash was the first major disaster of Trump's new term, and his response evoked his frequent 鈥� and controversial 鈥� briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic. His handling of the pandemic on him as he failed to win reelection in 2020.
After telling the families of the dead that 鈥渙ur 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 nightvision goggles, declared that 鈥測ou had a pilot problem鈥� and that the helicopter was 鈥済oing at an angle that was unbelievably bad.鈥� He questioned why the Army pilot didn鈥檛 change course, saying that 鈥測ou can stop a helicopter very quickly.鈥�
He also mused about the air traffic controllers, saying of the two aircraft, 鈥渇or whatever reason they were at the same elevation," adding "they should have been at a different height.鈥�
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.
鈥淲e look at facts, on our investigation, and that will take some time,鈥� said Jennifer Homendy, the board's chair.
Democrats criticized Trump鈥檚 remarks on Thursday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracy theories, it鈥檚 another for the president of the United States,鈥� said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth all lined up behind Trump to praise his leadership and echo his concerns about diversity programs and hiring.
鈥淲hen you don鈥檛 have the best standards in who you鈥檙e hiring, it means on the one hand, you鈥檙e not getting the best people in government," Vance said, 鈥淏ut on the other hand, it puts stresses on the people who are already there.鈥�
Trump made a point to tell Duffy, who was sworn in on Tuesday as Buttigieg's replacement, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not your fault.鈥� Duffy took the White House podium alongside Trump and declared, 鈥淲hen Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.鈥� Duffy added, 鈥淲e will not accept excuses.鈥�
Federal officials 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.
鈥淲hile these events are incredibly rare, our safety system is showing clear signs of strain that we cannot ignore,鈥� Homendy told lawmakers in 2023. Aviation experts around the same time saying that the FAA needs better staffing, equipment and technology.
____
Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report.
Zeke Miller And Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
