Combative Trump blames diversity policies after air tragedy

On Thursday, Donald Trump stood before cameras in the White House briefing room, fulfilling a traditional presidential duty—offering solace in a moment of tragedy. He expressed the nation’s mourning, offered condolences for a “painful hour,” and paid tribute to first responders and victims. Then, he pivoted, reminding people once again that his new presidency would be very different.

It would be combative, unscripted, and quick to point fingers. “We don’t know what caused this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” Trump said. He then speculated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lowered its hiring standards for air traffic controllers under Joe Biden and Barack Obama, which may have contributed to the disaster.

Trump and his Republican allies frequently attack federal government “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs. His team has made rolling back such programs a core focus of their first days in office, claiming they divide Americans and weaken the country. Less than 24 hours after the first major U.S. air disaster in over a decade, Trump, along with his Transportation Secretary, Defense Secretary, and Vice President, took turns emphasizing their point, despite offering no evidence to link federal hiring practices to the crash.

When a reporter asked how he could blame diversity programs for the crash when the investigation had just begun, the president responded, “Because I have common sense.” At other times, he also acknowledged that there was no definitive cause, saying that “everything is under investigation.” Trump stated that the FAA’s diversity and inclusion program hiring guidelines included prioritizing those with disabilities in “hearing, vision, missing limbs, partial paralysis, full paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.”

An archived version of the FAA’s diversity and inclusion hiring program website—which appears to have been removed in December—contained a similar list. The agency was at the time seeking individuals with “targeted disabilities,” who are a priority for federal hiring. But it is unclear how this effort to diversify hiring has affected the ranks of air traffic controllers, whom President Trump said all need to be “natural geniuses.” The FAA has more than 35,000 employees, with only a small fraction in that role.

In response to criticism last year of its diverse hiring practices, the agency released a statement saying that all new hires must meet “stringent qualifications” that “vary by position.” The agency has long faced criticism for a shortage of air traffic controllers, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive disruption in commercial air travel. There were reports that staffing levels at Reagan Airport may have been affected on Wednesday night.

In his remarks, Trump specifically targeted Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, using a vulgarity to describe him and saying that he had “destroyed” the department. Buttigieg defended his record on social media, calling Trump’s remarks “despicable.” He said, “Trump should be leading when families are grieving, not lying.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also criticized Trump’s remarks.

“It’s one thing for internet commentators to spread conspiracy theories, it’s another thing for the President of the United States to throw out unfounded speculation while bodies are still being recovered,” Schumer said. However, once he deviated from his prepared remarks, speculation seemed to be what President Trump was most interested in offering. In addition to decrying diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, he spoke at length about the angles and altitudes of the two planes flying, the weather conditions on Wednesday night, the temperature of the Potomac River, and the behavior of Army helicopters.

“We had a situation where a helicopter had the ability to stop,” he said. “For some reason, it just kept going.” But on Thursday night, the White House doubled down on blaming his predecessors and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The president signed a memo to end diversity efforts in aviation and to review all hiring decisions and safety protocol changes made under the Biden administration. He also signed an executive order to appoint a new head of the FAA.

Two things were clear from Trump’s remarks on Thursday. First, his eagerness to insert himself into major news events has not diminished in his new term. Second, in his view, it’s never too early to inject politics into a national tragedy and use it to attack opponents and advance his agenda.