Washington — President Trump addressed in the White House press briefing room Thursday morning, following the fatal jet accident in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., and attempted to blame the incident on DEI programs and the Biden administration. A regional flight collided with a US Army helicopter late Wednesday, marking the first significant commercial plane tragedy in the United States in more than a decade.
“I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation,” Trump told the audience.
He stated that the “massive search and rescue operation” that began overnight was “leveraging every asset at our disposal,” and that responders had done a “phenomenal job.”
“The work has now shifted to a recovery mission,” added the commander. “Sadly, there are no survivors.”
“We are in mourning, this has really shaken a lot of people.”
The president promised to help the families devastated by the tragedy, stating, “We’re all looking for answers.”
“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” the president remarked. “We’ll find out how this disaster occurred and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.”
The briefing follows the collision of American Eagle Flight No. 5342, which took off from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew members, with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three troops near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.
Mr. Trump announced that he would immediately designate Christopher Rocheleau as interim commissioner of the Federal Aviation Administration. Mr. Trump stated that the crash occurred on a “very clear night” and that “for some reason, adjustments weren’t made.”
He criticized the Biden administration and diversity measures, arguing that he had raised standards for people working in aviation.
“I prioritize safety first. “Obama, Biden, and the Democrats prioritize policy,” Mr. Trump stated.
He criticized what he called a “FAA diversity push that focuses on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.” That is incredible, and then the FAA states that persons with severe disabilities are the most underrepresented sector of the workforce, and they want them in. They could be air traffic controllers. “I don’t think so,” he replied.
“Brilliant people have to be in those positions,” he told me. “….And you need a very special talent, and a very special genius, to be able to do it.”
Mr. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who were also present at the briefing, appeared to infer that recruits made in accordance with DEI regulations played a part in the crash, but admitted that it is unclear at this point in the investigation where culpability may rest.
When asked just how he arrived to the conclusion that diversity had something to do with the catastrophe, Mr. Trump said, “because I have common sense.”
The president’s comments attracted sharp criticism from the Senate’s top Democrat. “It’s one thing for internet pundits to spew conspiracy theories, but it’s another for the president.
“What happened yesterday should not have occurred. “It should not have happened,” Duffy explained. “And when Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination.”
Duffy stated that the Transportation Department would not accept excuses and would take responsibility for implementing adjustments to ensure “these mistakes do not happen again.”
Hegseth also spoke at the briefing, emphasizing that the administration will decide what happened.
Hegseth identified the three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk as a young captain, a staff sergeant, and a CW-2 chief warrant officer who were undergoing “routine annual retraining” for a “continuity of government” assignment.
“The military does dangerous things, it does routine things, on a regular basis,” Hegseth told reporters. “Tragically last night a mistake was made.”
He agreed that there was “some sort of an elevation issue” that the Defense Department and Army were looking into.
Hegseth promised that the department will have “the best and brightest in every position possible,” and reiterated Mr. Trump’s criticism of diversity, adding, “The era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department.”
Emergency teams continued to search the crash site Thursday morning. At an earlier news briefing, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Chief John Donnelly said that 27 dead had been retrieved from the plane and one from the helicopter.
The president’s news conference went more than 30 minutes.
Mr. Trump said in a statement Wednesday night that he had been thoroughly briefed on the disaster and thanked “our first responders for their incredible work.”
He later posted on Truth Social, inquiring why the crash occurred under what looked to be normal conditions.
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Trump told reporters. “NOT GOOD!!!”
