U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “hearts are broken” following this morning’s collision between a plane and a military helicopter in Washington, adding that the United States is in mourning.
During the night, an American Airlines plane attempting to land collided with a military helicopter, and both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River in Washington. Officials do not believe that anyone survived among the 64 passengers on the plane and the three soldiers in the helicopter.
At a press conference addressing the crash, Trump said that the investigation had just begun but that he had a “strong opinion” on the cause, according to the BBC.
Trump has previously criticized the hiring of what he claimed were unqualified air traffic controllers, though he has never provided concrete examples, and there is currently no evidence that this was the case in this incident, the BBC reports.
The President questioned the actions of the military helicopter pilot and the air traffic controller leading up to the collision and then shifted the discussion to politics, blaming the recently ousted Democrats and their diversity initiatives related to gender, race, nationality, age, sexual orientation or identity, education, disability, and religious beliefs in employment, reports AP.
Trump claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was “actively recruiting” individuals with “severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and psychological conditions” as part of its diversity and inclusion policies, which he said are listed on the agency’s website.
He stated that air traffic controllers “should be talented geniuses” and that “ordinary people cannot do this job.”
Trump admitted that he had no evidence to support his claims that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives or hiring preferences played a role in today’s crash but insisted that “it could have happened.”
The plane crash marks the first major disaster during Trump’s new term, and his response mirrors his controversial statements made during the COVID-19 pandemic, AP notes.
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Trump also speculated about a “problem with the pilot” of the helicopter, claiming that he approached at an “unbelievably bad angle” and questioning why the military pilot did not change course, arguing that “a helicopter can stop very quickly.”
Discussing the air traffic controller at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, Trump questioned why the two aircraft were at the same altitude, suggesting they should have been at different heights.
Trump particularly criticized Pete Buttigieg, the former Secretary of Transportation under Democratic President Joe Biden, calling him “a disaster” who “destroyed the department with his diversity policies.” He added that the previous U.S. administration pursued “terrible policies.”
Buttigieg responded on X (formerly Twitter), calling Trump’s comments “contemptible.”
“While families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” Buttigieg wrote.
Trump told Sean Duffy, his newly appointed Secretary of Transportation, who replaced Buttigieg on Tuesday, that he is not to blame for the crash.
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Source: N1, Foto: AFP