President Trump convened an impromptu press conference on Thursday morning at the White House to address the nation following a devastating mid-air collision over the Potomac River, which left no survivors and what is believed 67 people dead. A military helicopter had crashed into the comerical plane—an avoidable tragedy, Trump suggested, that “should never have happened.”
Entering the White House briefing room with Vice President Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the newly appointed Secretary of Transportation John Duffy, Trump appeared visibly somber.
“We’ll find out how this disaster occurred, and we’ll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” stated Trump. He added that “systematic and comprehensive” investigation will come to the bottom line of what happened. Trump announced that he has appointed an acting commissioner to the FAA, Christopher Rocheleau, a “highly respected” 22-year veteran of the agency.
The President called for a moment of silence, and the room fell still. The weight of the catastrophe hung in the air.
But it wasn’t just an expression of grief. Trump swiftly pivoted to what he saw as a root cause: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies instituted by the Obama and the Biden administration.
He accused Biden of “lowering” the hiring standards at the FAA and made it clear that his presidency would champion a different doctrine—one focused solely on “the best and brightest.”
Trump said that the FAA diversity push focused on hiring people “with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.”
The Biden administration, he charged, had “lowered” FAA hiring standards, placing ideological dogma above aviation competence. FAA hiring, he claimed, had prioritized individuals “with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.”
Pressed for evidence that DEI was responsible for the crash, Trump’s response was, as always, succinct: “Common sense.”
There is no question that the President, privy as he is to the highest echelons of classified intelligence, has likely seen the credentials—or lack thereof—of those involved in the plane crash. If they were indeed woefully unqualified, ushered in by a box-ticking diversity scheme, he would know. Yet, he held his tongue in the face of ongoing investigation. Was he merely speculating, or hinting at a revelation yet to break?
One thing, however, was clear: under this administration, the era of ideological hiring—at least in government agencies—was over.
What happened?
According to Trump, an American Airlines plane was “doing everything right” on its approach—flying a well-worn track, unchanged for decades. Yet, inexplicably, a military helicopter came in at the same altitude, “going at an angle.”
Trump criticized an air traffic controller who said, “Do you see him?”—a question he suggested left “very little time” for decisive action. He also pointed to the controller’s follow-up instruction, “Follow him in,” which, Trump argued, implied that “everything’s fine.” Seconds later, the two aircraft collided.
Hegseth was blunt: a “mistake was made.” There had been an “elevation issue.” But the real issue, he reiterated, was systemic—one of hiring, training, and competence.
“We will have the best and brightest in every position possible,” he said, vowing to replace DEI-driven hiring with “color-blind, merit-based” selection across the federal government.
Now, the investigation is underway. If it confirms Trump’s suspicions—that ideological hiring played a role in the disaster—then the President will have all the ammunition he needs to dismantle DEI policies and remake federal government in any way he sees fit.
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