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Following the Washington Air crash that resulted in the deaths of 67 individuals near Reagan National Airport, President Donald Trump attributed the incident to his predecessor, Joe Biden, claiming that the oversight and regulations of Biden's administration played a role in the tragedy.
Trump asserted that the subpar recruitment standards for air traffic controllers under Biden's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) negatively impacted the country's air travel system.
The president also took aim at the federal government's "diversity, equity, and inclusion" initiatives, which aim to foster a diverse workforce, stating that these policies have been "disastrous" and have led to a decline in merit-based hiring and accountability.
During a press briefing on Thursday regarding the crash, Trump criticized former President Barack Obama's administration, specifically targeting former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for relaxing the standards for air traffic controllers to prioritize diversity and inclusion in hiring. However, he did not blame the controllers on duty during the crash.
"Their policy was terrible, and their politics were even worse. You need a special talent and genius to do this," he remarked.
Discussing the incident involving the crashed aircraft, he noted that the Army helicopter pilot should have been able to see the oncoming American Airlines flight and avoided a collision.
"For some reason, you had a helicopter at the same altitude and on a trajectory that was incredibly poor when the air traffic controller asked, 'Do you see him?' There was a pilot issue with the helicopter because it was a clear night," Trump stated from the White House briefing room.
"The individuals in the helicopter should have been aware of their surroundings. What was the helicopter doing in that flight path? It's very unfortunate. But visually, someone should have been able to see and maneuver that helicopter out of danger, and they should have been at a different altitude," he continued.
Additionally, Trump promised that the National Transportation Safety Board and military investigators would uncover the reasons behind the crash that claimed 67 lives.
"We will determine how this disaster happened, and we will ensure it never occurs again," Trump pledged.
