President Trump has blamed one of the deadliest plane crashes in U.S. history to diversity and inclusion policies, sparking controversy in the wake of the tragedy.
The crash, which claimed 67 lives, happened when a passenger plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport. The helicopter had apparently flown into the plane’s path.
Speaking at the White House, Trump called the collision a ‘tragedy of terrible proportions’ and insisted the accident was preventable but offered no evidence for this.
He blamed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices in federal agencies, arguing that air traffic controllers should be selected based on intelligence rather than diversity. ‘We need geniuses in these positions,’ Trump stated adding ‘We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas.’
REPORTER: I’m trying to figure out how you can come to the conclusion right now that diversity had something to do with this crash
TRUMP: Because I have common sense, ok? And unfortunately a lot of people don’t pic.twitter.com/bVph92zAFG
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2025
Trump also took aim at former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, calling him a ‘disaster’ and accusing the Obama and Biden administrations of prioritising politics over safety. He pointed to an FAA report suggesting concerns over workforce diversity, claiming it played a role in the tragedy.
The crash has prompted intense scrutiny of federal aviation and military training policies as recovery efforts continue in the Potomac River. Investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the collision, making it the deadliest U.S. air accident since 2019.
The black boxes from the plane were recovered on Thursday. In a released audio clip air traffic controllers can be heard asking the helicopter’s crew if they can see the plane.