Donald Trump has blamed the Federal Aviation Administration’s policies on diversity, equity and inclusivity for the death of 67 people during a mid-air collision over Washington DC.
The US Army helicopter was on a training mission when it crashed into an American Airlines plane on Wednesday night. It happened as the aircraft approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport around 9pm local time.
In a Thursday press conference, President Trump said that DEI policies were a possible cause of the crash and the Democrat Party’s role as an encourager.
He said on Thursday, in a report by Fox News. “The FAA’s Diversity Push includes a focus on hiring people who have severe intellectual and mental disabilities.” That’s amazing. The report also states that the FAA says that people with severe disabilities make up the largest underrepresented group in its workforce. [They] then said, “They want them to come, and they want, they can become air traffic controllers.” I don’t believe so. It was January 14th, so a week prior to my taking office. “They made a major push to bring diversity into FAA’s programs.”
He said: “Brilliant individuals have to hold these positions. Their lives are actually cut short, substantially, because of the pressure when you have so many planes flying into a single target. You need a special talent and genius to do this.”
“If we find out that people aren’t mentally competent, these aren’t people who should do these jobs.”
Trump said, “We don’t know what caused this crash, but we have some very powerful opinions and ideas.”
Last week, the Trump administration sent a memo to federal agencies , telling them to be prepared to layoff staff working in programmes for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Trump attributed the diversity policies of former presidents Biden, Obama and Pete Buttigieg who served as transportation secretary under Joe Biden.
Trump said, “He was a catastrophe.” He was a catastrophe as a Mayor, he ran the city into ruin, and now he is a Disaster. He just has a great line of bullshit.”
Trump said Buttigieg “ran the Transportation Department into the ground” with his “diversity”.
On Friday, there were reports that the air traffic control in Washington DC was understaffed.
FAA criticised for DEI
The FAA’s policies on diversity have been criticized in recent years, even though there has not yet been a direct link to Trump’s statements. It pledged in 2022 to “diversify the workforce by rethinking hiring practices” and officials of the administration assigned long-term objectives aimed at amplifying issues such as diversity, accessibility and LGBTQ.
The FAA declared 2023 a “Year of Inclusion”. A three-day conference was held to train FAA employees on the impact of diversity and equity, accessibility, inclusion, and accessibility, and how to overcome “unconscious bias”.
Have you no decency? Have you no decency for the families who’s lives have been turned around?” – Hakeem Jeffreys, Democratic House Minority Leader
In 2013, under President Obama, the FAA began to use a “biographical evaluation” in order to increase the hiring of minority racial group members at air traffic control centers. In the assessment, applicants were asked questions such as how many school sports they had participated in or when they started to earn money. In 2018, this assessment was dropped after it was ruled to be illegal.
Some claim that they were rejected because of their identity due to the biographical assessment.
In November 2019, lawyers sought class-action status in a suit for more than 2,560 aspiring air traffic control officers who, they claimed, were hurt by what they called the FAA’s discriminatory hiring practices.
They claim that Obama’s administration has endangered public safety through its racial political priorities and is owed compensation for this “grave injustice”.
The FAA, the US Transport Department and other parties are opposing the lawsuit. It will be heard in the first quarter of next year.
A White House fact sheet released last week said that President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum “terminating the Biden Administration Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) hiring policy which prioritized DEI over safety and efficiency”. It promised “non-discriminatory, merit-based training”.
The FAA Administrator was required to review past performance and performance standard of all FAA employees who held critical safety positions. “Make clear that any individual failing to demonstrate adequate capabilities is replaced by someone else who will ensure Americans flight safety.”
Democrats Respond
Democrats reacted angrily to Trump’s suggestion that the crash might have been somehow linked to DEI. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, said: “It is one thing for internet pundits who spread conspiracy theories. The President of the United States of America is not the one to make idle speculations while victims are still being found and families still being notified. It makes you sick.”
Hakeem Jeffreys, the Democratic leader of the house minorities, addressed Trump and added: “Have You No Decency?” Do you have no respect for families whose lives were turned upside down?
Michael Whitaker resigned as FAA administrator when Donald Trump became president. Whitaker was criticized by Trump supporter Elon musk for the FAA’s oversight over his company SpaceX.
Christopher Rocheleau was appointed acting administrator for the FAA on Thursday. He has been with the agency for 22 years.
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