After mourning the loss of victims in the air collision in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump pivoted quickly to placing the blame.
He quickly claimed that he had elevated safety standards only to have Joe Biden lower them, and then more directly blamed diversity, equity and inclusion programs, or DEI.
He singled out former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, claiming that he has been using “a good line of bullshit” in promoting hiring policies of the Federal Aviation Administration, which employs air traffic controllers.
Yet in briefing with reporters at the White House, Trump said that “we do not know what led to this crash, but we have some strong opinions.”
“We don’t know,” Trump said later.
“The helicopter was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a tragedy occurred.”
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board typically takes months or even more than a year to complete and fully determine a cause.
Investigators have not determined fault, whether it was on the part of air traffic controllers or the pilots of the American Airlines commercial jet or those the military helicopter.
Trump continuously blamed Biden and even Barack Obama for their safety standards. But as he took questions from reporters, he was challenged on his attack on hiring language on the FAA website.
Trump insisted that he had made reforms to FAA safety standards since coming to office. But soon after the crash on Wednesday evening, a report of another Trump action circulated on social media: He fired the members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
More to come.
