Photo: Getty Images
Donald Trump cited DEI as a possible reason behind the deadly collision between a commercial and an Army helicopter near Washington D.C., but the president moved to gut a key aviation safety committee days before the incident, per the Economic Times.
On Wednesday (January 29) night, an American Airlines plane holding 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter believed to have three people aboard while trying to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near D.C. Search-and-rescue efforts were launched in the Potomac River. So far at least 30 bodies have been recovered, and authorities believe there could be no survivors from the collision.
In the fallout of the crash, Trump came under fire for several of his recent moves, including implementing the federal hiring freeze, dismissing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Coast Guard, and dismantling a crucial aviation safety advisory committee.
Experts warned that Trump's hiring freeze could lead to plane crashes, The freeze stated that no federal civilian position vacant as of noon on January 20 would be filled and no new positions would be created.
Just hours before the D.C. crash, Thomas Schaller, a Political Science Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, issued a warning about the federal hiring freeze on X, formerly Twitter.
"An FAA employee I know confirms agency already lacks sufficient air traffic controllers. The so-called 'buyouts' and other attacks on federal employees won't help. Remember that fact when the flight delays (crashes? ) commence and Trumpers start falsely blaming DEI or Biden," Schaller wrote.
It's unclear whether the pause on federal hiring prevents the FAA from acquiring new air traffic controllers. Other exceptions to the freeze included military personnel, roles vital for immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety.
Washington Representative Rick Larsen spoke out against the hiring freeze amid the uncertainty of its application to the FAA.
"The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. That's what the law says, so the Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order," he said. "Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry...I'm not surprised by the President's dangerous and divisive actions, but the Administration must reverse course. Let's get back to aviation safety and allow the FAA to do its job protecting the flying public."
Earlier this month, members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee also received a memo saying the department was eliminating membership as part of a “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.” The Aviation Security Advisory was required by Congress following the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The committee will still exist, but no longer have members overseeing safety issues at airlines and airports.
Trump appeared to shift the blame to DEI after Wednesday's deadly collision sparked backlash over his recent moves.
During a press briefing on Thursday (January 30), Trump claimed the FAA was hiring people with disabilities who shouldn't be in the roles. Trump said he believes DEI could be to blame because "I have common sense ... other people don't."
Authorities are still investigating the cause behind Wednesday's crash.
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