Staff Reports
In the aftermath of the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River that claimed the lives of 67 people, former President Donald Trump has wasted no time pointing fingers at the incompetence of the Biden administration and his former transportation chief, Pete Buttigieg. The disaster unfolded mere hours after the collision, which involved an American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, further highlighting the ongoing chaos engulfing Washington.
Speaking to reporters from the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Trump didn’t hold back his criticism of Buttigieg, who, let’s not forget, had just ten days before been overseeing the Department of Transportation. Trump made it clear that Buttigieg’s record is as shaky as a toddler on a tricycle. The former president labeled Buttigieg a “disaster,” confident that his past as mayor did little to prepare him for a role requiring actual competence.
Trump wasn’t shy about addressing the disastrous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that he believes have led to these tragic outcomes. He called out Buttigieg’s push to prioritize diversity over actual qualifications, suggesting that the FAA had embraced a DEI strategy more aligned with a social experiment than the rigorous standards needed for air traffic controllers. Apparently, hiring someone purely based on cumbersome diversity metrics is the new normal under Biden — a recipe for disaster, in Trump’s eyes.
In further remarks, Trump pointed to a Fox News article detailing the FAA’s recruitment of individuals with “severe intellectual” disabilities, claiming this was emblematic of the administration’s misguided focus. The idea that someone’s ability to control air traffic could hinge on a preference for hiring based on disability rather than ability itself is enough to make any logical thinker weep. Trump insisted that his administration had strived for nothing less than the highest standards for air traffic controllers — a stark contrast to the “lower than ever before” standards he alleges Biden reinstated.
Trump Calls Out Pete Buttigieg's 'Bullsh*t',' Biden-Era DEI After Fatal American Airlines, Black Hawk Crash https://t.co/unn0KKRFIm
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) January 30, 2025
As investigations by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board gear up in the wake of the collision, it appears Trump is ramping up his critique of the Biden administration. He’s called for an immediate return to merit-based hiring practices in the transportation sector, enabling the most qualified individuals — not those chosen based on diversity metrics — to fill critical safety roles. In Trump’s view, DEI policies have placed lives at risk and dumbed down hiring standards to a laughable low, putting everyone on the flight path in peril while offering little more than progressive window dressing.
With the horror of the crash hanging in the air and no lives to recover, Trump’s fiery rhetoric serves as both a critique of the current administration and a warning of the implications of their policies. The focus on merit, competence, and expertise appears to be the only logical path forward if the tragic loss of life is to have any meaningful legacy.
