Trump slammed for blaming Washington DC plane crash on DEI in bizarre speech: ‘Idle speculation’

Donald Trump has been criticised for blaming a Washington DC plane crash that killed at least 67 people on diversity initiatives.

Authorities have recovered at least 40 bodiesfrom the water after an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter mid-air on Wednesday (29 January).

Over 300 personnel rushed to the Potomac River following the collision as part of recovery efforts. Officials have said there were no survivors.

The 78-year-old president said during a Thursday press briefing he believed that the plane crash was due in part to diversity efforts implemented by the previous government.

“We do not know what led to the crash, but we have some very strong opinions,” he said during a White House briefing.

Without giving further evidence, the President blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices for contributing to the crash, baselessly speculating that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had lowered its standards during the Joe Biden and Barack Obama presidencies.

DEI practices refer to equity efforts, particularly in employment, to help make workplaces a safer environment for marginalised groups such as LGBTQ+ and non-white people.

Asked by a reporter how he could blame the initiatives for the crash when an investigation into the incident had only just begun, Trump said: “Because I have common sense.”

He accused the FAA of hiring individuals with disabilities involving “hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism.”

An archived version of the FAA’s website, reported by the BBC, featured a “targeted disabilities” hiring policy. Only a small fraction of FAA staff reach the rank of air traffic controllers.

The FAA clarified in response to criticisms of its inclusive hiring policy in 2024 saying that new hires must reach “rigorous qualifications” that “vary by position.”

There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that inclusive hiring practices impacted the effectiveness of air traffic control at the time of the crash.

Responding to accusations that former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg had run the department “into the ground,” the Democrat said Trump’s comments were “despicable.”

Democratic senate leader, Chuck Schumer, also criticised Trump’s response, saying: “It’s one thing for internet pundits to spew off conspiracies, it’s another for the President of the United States to throw out idle speculation as bodies are still being recovered,”