In addition to asserting that diversity, equality, and inclusion policies may be at fault, President Donald Trump pledged that his government will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the late Wednesday collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter over Washington, D.C.
Trump described the disaster, which is thought to have killed all 64 people on board the plane and three troops on the helicopter, as an hour of pain for our country at a news conference that lasted around 30 minutes on Thursday.
According to Trump, this was a tragedy of appalling proportions and a sad and agonizing night in our country’s capital and history. We mourn as a nation for each and every precious soul that was abruptly snatched from us.
Two coaches from the Skating Club of Boston, their parents, and two teenage skaters from the Boston region were among the feared deceased.After competing in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, the six were returning from a development camp.
Trump seemed to blame the helicopter’s pilot for the disaster, even though he stated that the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and U.S. Military will conduct a thorough investigation. According to Trump, the American Airlines plane collided as it was entering at Reagan National Airport on the same track as all other planes.
He added that the helicopter did something that was slightly contrary to what was said, saying, “You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter.”
Additionally, he made the obviously unsupported assertion that previous President Joe Biden had dropped the recruiting standards for air traffic controllers, claiming that they had been increased to the highest possible standard during his first term in 2016.
Under a diversity and inclusion hiring program outlined on the agency’s website, the FAA is actively seeking employees with severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and other mental and physical conditions, Trump said, adding that the program permitted the hiring of individuals with paralysis, epilepsy, dwarfism, and hearing and vision impairments.
When asked if diversity hiring had anything to do with this crash, Trump responded, “It just might have.”
Other cabinet members who participated at the news conference, such as Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Vice President JD Vance, repeated such comments.
Only the finest and the brightest can be accepted in safe positions that affect the lives of our family members and loved ones, according to Duffy.
Vance then asserted that the hue of their skin was the reason why air-traffic controllers were being rejected.
According to Vance, safety is our aviation industry’s first priority, thus that policy ceases under Donald Trump’s leadership.
This report included information from the Associated Press.