Trump Blames DEI for Airplane Crash That Killed 67 in Ridiculous Press Convention

President Donald Trump held a rambling, unhinged press convention Thursday in regards to the midair collision between a business aircraft and army helicopter in Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening that killed 67 people. Your entire press convention was an extended collection of excuses about why Trump’s administration wasn’t accountable for the crash and the president repeatedly mentioned “variety” in hiring of air visitors controllers was accountable.

“The FAA is actively recruiting staff that suffer extreme mental disabilities, psychiatric issues, and different psychological and bodily situations underneath a variety and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the company’s web site. Are you able to think about?” Trump mentioned.

Trump mentioned the Democratic presidents that preceded him had been accountable for the crash as a result of they instituted insurance policies that employed individuals who had been unqualified to be air visitors controllers.

“You had a helicopter and a aircraft. That shouldn’t have occurred,” Trump mentioned. “And we’ll see. We’re going to look into that and we’re going to see. However actually for an air visitors controller, we would like the brightest, the neatest, the sharpest. Anyone that’s psychologically superior. And that’s what we’re going to have.”

The “helicopter and a aircraft” Trump was referring to included an American Airways flight carrying 64 folks and a U.S. Military helicopter carrying three folks. Trump mentioned the helicopter ought to have “been at a unique peak,” whereas additionally blaming DEI for the crash.

Reporters within the room repeatedly pushed Trump on his claims that DEI initiatives had by some means induced the crash, together with Kaitlan Collins from CNN.

“You might be blaming Democrats and DEI insurance policies and air visitors management and seemingly the member of the U.S. army who was flying that Black Hawk helicopter. Don’t you suppose you’re getting forward of the investigation proper now?” Collins requested. Trump deflected and mentioned Collins was asking “silly” questions.

One other reporter within the room requested about why Trump was blaming members of the army for the crash.

“You then mentioned maybe the helicopter pilots had been those who made the errors. That’s why I’m making an attempt to determine how one can come to the conclusion proper now that variety had one thing to do with this crash,” the reporter requested.

“As a result of I’ve widespread sense, okay?” Trump replied. “And sadly, lots of people don’t. We would like sensible folks doing this. It is a main chess sport on the highest stage.”

REPORTER: I am making an attempt to determine how one can come to the conclusion proper now that variety had one thing to do with this crash

TRUMP: As a result of I’ve widespread sense, okay? And sadly lots of people do not pic.twitter.com/bVph92zAFG

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2025

Trump continued by rambling about laptop methods he clearly is aware of nothing about.

“When you’ve 60 planes coming in throughout a brief time frame and so they’re all coming in several instructions, and also you’re coping with very high-level laptop work and really complicated computer systems,” Trump mentioned. “And one of many different issues I’ll inform you is that the methods that had been constructed, I used to be going to rebuild the whole system. After which we had an election that didn’t prove the way in which it ought to have. However they didn’t construct the methods correctly.”

A big contingent from the clown automobile of the Trump regime was additionally at Thursday’s press convention, together with Vice President JD Vance and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“One thing the President mentioned that I believe bears re-emphasizing, which is that if you don’t have the very best requirements in who you’re hiring, it means on the one hand you’re not getting the very best folks in authorities, however then again it places stresses on the people who find themselves already there,” Vance mentioned.

Sean Duffy, the previous actuality TV star and lately confirmed Secretary for the Division of Transportation, additionally spoke forcefully whereas pretending he was an essential voice of authority who knew what he was doing. Duffy has no background or experience to be the Transportation Secretary, except for maybe being on a actuality TV present referred to as Highway Guidelines, however was confirmed anyway, together with by a lot of Democrats.

“We won’t settle for excuses,” Duffy mentioned in the course of a press convention that was nothing however making excuses. “We won’t settle for passing the buck,” Duffy continued whereas passing the buck.

“We’re going to take accountability on the Division of Transportation and the FAA to ensure we’ve the reforms which have been dictated by President Trump in place to make it possible for these errors don’t occur once more,” Duffy mentioned, making an attempt to offer credence to Trump’s absurd arguments about variety being the reason for the crash.

Trump’s administration instituted a hiring freeze on air visitors controllers within the earliest days of coming to energy. Rating members of the Home Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure even issued an announcement elevating critical considerations about security on Jan. 22 in regards to the hiring freeze and calling out the ostensible cause for the transfer: DEI.

“Hiring air visitors controllers is the primary security problem in keeping with the whole aviation trade,” wrote Rep. Rick Larsen, a Democrat from Washington. “As an alternative of working to enhance aviation security and decrease prices for hardworking American households, the Administration is selecting to unfold bogus DEI claims to justify this choice.”

The FAA had been working with out an administrator however Trump named Chris Rocheleau for the put up throughout his press convention.