When a mid-air collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle passenger plane near Washington, D.C., President Trump immediately found a way to assign blame. Not only did he question the actions of FAA leadership, but he also blamed former President Barack Obama’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies for contributing to the crash.
Trump has been criticized for ousting several key FAA officials during his presidency, leaving the agency without confirmed leadership at the time of the disaster. One of the most significant moves was the removal of FAA Administrator Michael Whittaker. Trump removed Whittaker under pressure from tech mogul Elon Musk. Musk had been vocal about his frustrations with Whittaker, claiming the FAA was stifling the ambitions of SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, over safety issues.
Trump also removed the heads of the TSA and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a group formed to advise on airline safety after the 1988 PanAm bombing.
With these key figures gone, the FAA did not have the full support it needed when the collision occurred. The agency, now without permanent leadership, is struggling with a shortage of air traffic controllers, and its ability to manage safety concerns has been questioned. Trump’s quick approach to assigning blame shocked more people when he speculated about the crash without waiting for the facts.
Trump posted on social media: “The airplane was on a perfect and regular line to the airport. The helicopter was heading straight toward the airplane for a long time. It was a clear night, the plane’s lights were flashing, why did the helicopter not go up or down, or turn around? Why did the control tower not tell the helicopter what to do, instead of asking them if they saw the plane?”
Trump further claimed that the Obama administration’s push for DEI policies weakened the FAA. He suggested that these policies led to a focus on diversity rather than qualifications, implying that this may have compromised safety standards. He offered no evidence to support this claim, but it quickly became part of his narrative about the crash…
In addition to blaming Obama’s DEI initiatives, Trump and others speculated about terrorism, with billionaire Bill Ackman suggesting that the crash may have been intentional. The FBI quickly debunked that theory, saying there was no evidence of criminal activity. Meanwhile, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser reminded the public that the focus should be on recovery efforts, not conspiracy theories.
