President Donald Trump provided a major update on Thursday to Americans on the deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport.
At one point, Trump spoke about former President Joe Biden’s administration placing too much emphasis on DEI and the role it might have played in the disaster.
Trump called on several reporters and when he got to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, she asked: “We don’t yet know the names of the 67 people were killed. And you are blaming Democrats and DEI policies, and air traffic control, and seemingly the member of the U.S. military who was flying that Black Hawk helicopter. Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of the investigation right now?”
Trump shot back: “I don’t think so at all. I don’t think with the names of the people. You mean the names of the people that are on the plane? You think that’s going to make a difference?”
“Does it comfort their family to hear you blaming DEI policies?” Collins interrupted.
“They are a group of people that have lost their lives. If you want a list of the names we can give you that we’ll be giving that very soon. And in coordination with American Airlines, we’re in coordination very strongly, obviously, with the military. But I think that’s not a very smart question,” Trump responded.
“But are you blaming air traffic controllers–” Collins began saying before Trump cut her off.
“I’m surprised coming from you. Please. Please,” Trump hit back before moving on to another reporter.
WATCH:
While speaking in the White House briefing room, the president began things by holding a moment of silence for all of the victims, calling it a moment of “anguish.”
“Sadly, there are no survivors,” Trump said.
“Together we take solace in the knowledge that their journey ended not in the cold waters of the Potomac, but in the warm embrace of a loving God,” Trump said.
Trump added: “They are working tirelessly to figure out exactly what happened. We will state certain opinions, however. I’m also immediately appointing an acting commissioner to the FAA, Christopher Rocheleau, a 22-year veteran of the agency, highly respected. Christopher, thank you very much. Appreciate it.”
Trump also tore into DEI and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, calling him a “disaster” who just had a “good line of bullsh*t.”
“The FAA website shows that the agency’s guidance on diversity hiring were last updated on March 23rd of ‘22. They wanted to make it even more so. And then I came in, and I assume maybe this is the reason. The FAA, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a real winner, that guy’s a real winner. Do you know how badly everything’s run since he’s run this Department of Transportation? He’s a disaster. He was a disaster as a mayor. He ran his city into the ground, and he’s a disaster now. He’s just got a good line of bullshit. The Department of Transportation, his government agency charged with regulating civil aviation. Well, he runs it, 45,000 people, and he’s run it right into the ground with his diversity,” Trump said.
WATCH:
Trump made a statement on Wednesday evening after a passenger plane collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan International Airport,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “May God Bless their souls.”
“Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise,” he added.
The president then followed up his original posts raising some questions about what may have happened.
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time,” he wrote. “It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
He concluded, “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”
