Headline Roundup • January 31st, 2025
Did DEI Play a Role in the DC Plane Crash, as Trump Suggested?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
On Wednesday, a military helicopter and a commercial airliner collided near Washington D.C., killing all passengers. President Trump said that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had lowered standards under Biden amid a “diversity push.”
Key Quotes: Responding to Trump's comments, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch. President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe.”
DEI Timeline: Sources on the left and center highlighted flaws in Trump's claim. While Trump blamed Biden and Obama's administrations for the crash, a Forbes (Center bias) piece noted that diversity programs within the FAA have existed for years, including during Trump's first term. In 2019, during his term, the FAA launched an initiative to hire more people with disabilities.
Republicans Split: Republican strategist John Feehery said Trump was asking probing questions “channeling the thoughts and concerns of the American people” which he described as “refreshing.” Republican strategist Doug Heye disagreed, saying Trump did not rise to the moment. John Pitney, a former Republican aide also criticized Trump's response saying, “Trump publicly speculated about the causes of the crash, which was not helpful to the investigators or the families of the victims.”
Featured Coverage of this Story
In a Thursday press conference addressing the plane-helicopter collision that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan National Airport, President Donald Trump made an array of statements about past and present federal policy for air traffic controllers.
He at one point said the crash "could have been" the result of diversity hiring initiatives, and he claimed air traffic controllers are allowed to work with serious health issues and disabilities.
Here's what the USA TODAY Fact Check Team found on how Trump's statements compare to Federal Aviation Administration standards and past changes.
There seemed to be two President Donald Trumps in the immediate aftermath of the deadly collision between an American Airlines airplane and Army Black Hawk helicopter over Washington.
The crash, which occurred over the Potomac River as the plane tried to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the helicopter was conducting a training mission, presents the first test of Trump’s nascent second administration after a record of uneven responses to tragedy during his first term.
As 67 families learned their loved ones, including 60 airline passengers, four crew members, and three military personnel, were victims...
AFP via Getty Images
President Donald Trump attacked the Federal Aviation Administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies at a press conference following a fatal collision between an American Airlines plane and an army helicopter, though he did not provide evidence DEI was related to the crash, and these policies have existed for years—including during his first term.
Trump quoted the FAA’s now-deleted diversity, equity and inclusion page in a press conference, stating the FAA had committed to hiring people with “severe” disabilities because they are the “most under-represented segment” of the workforce, including those...
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