January 30, 2025 01:09 PM UTC

Trump Blames "Diversity" For Worst Plane Crash In Years

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Washington Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf reports from the nation’s capitol today, where last night an American Airlines plane carrying sixty people crashed on approach to National Airport after apparently colliding with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River, resulting in the biggest loss of life due to an aviation incident in many years–and where President Donald Trump the very next morning seized the opportunity to blame the tragedy on…

Do we even need to say it?

First responders were still recovering bodies from the Potomac River Thursday when President Trump told the nation that his predecessors, Democrats and diversity were to blame for Wednesday night’s fatal collision of an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Within five minutes after asking for a moment of silence for the victims, Trump pivoted to his political agenda, notably his hard-charging plan to reduce the federal bureaucracy and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from all agencies. The president told reporters he had seen no evidence to attribute the crash to changes in hiring standards for air traffic controllers…

“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” he said. “And I think we’ll probably state those opinions now, because over the years I’ve watched as things like this happen and they say, ‘Well, we’re always investigating.’”

The New York Times’ David Sanger:

When asked how he could say that diversity hiring was to blame for the crash even though basic facts about the midair collision were still being sought by investigators, he said, “Because I have common sense.”

“For some jobs, we need the highest level of genius,” he said.

Of the F.A.A. under Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump said: “They actually came out with a directive, too white.”

It shouldn’t be necessary for us to point out that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest any “diversity” hiring programs were responsible for yesterday’s crash, and even if they were it would be impossible to determine something like that during the earliest phases of disaster recovery. This totally unfounded speculation will not ease the suffering of survivors or assist the investigation into what happened. It could honestly be the most insensitive way a leader could possibly respond just hours after a tragedy that killed dozens of Americans.

And it’s what a majority of Americans just voted upon themselves for another four years. If your first instinct hearing about this fully predictable indefensible behavior is to make excuses for Trump like you have since 2016, just know that by 2026 and probably long before, you and the country are going to be deeply tired of hearing those excuses.

During all three of Trump’s campaigns, dividing Americans was Trump’s deliberately chosen strategy. We’re about to learn again the hard way that turning Americans against each other for one man’s political benefit is the last thing our country needs.