President Donald Trump may have some information that others don’t have regarding control tower issues on the night of the devastating mid-air collision between an American Airlines commuter jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The White House attributed the incident to systemic failures at the Federal Aviation Administration, including hiring policies enacted during the Obama and Biden Administrations. Trump has directed an immediate assessment of all hiring decisions by the agency.
The statement specifically criticized changes in FAA hiring practices that prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over merit-based selection.
Must Read Alaska wrote about those policies one year ago. The FAA was recruiting people who were deaf, blind, had epilepsy, and those with severe mental illness.
Regarding the collision, Trump said, “This shocking event follows problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Obama Administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude. During my first term, my Administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence. But the Biden Administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous ‘diversity equity and inclusion’ tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA.”
The statement reiterated that on the second day of the new Trump Administration, an executive order was issued to reinstate merit-based hiring in all federal agencies, including the FAA, prioritizing safety and competence in aviation oversight. The Trump Administration emphasized that this latest tragedy highlights the urgent need to ensure aviation safety remains uncompromised.
As part of the response to the incident, the White House announced that the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator have been directed to conduct a comprehensive review of all hiring decisions and safety protocols from the previous four years. The review will assess any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety procedures under the Biden Administration. Furthermore, the directive calls for the removal of any individuals who do not meet the qualification standards necessary to uphold rigorous aviation safety measures.
“Consistent with the Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2025 (Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation), the Secretary and the Administrator shall take all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior four years,” the statement continued. “We must instill an unwavering commitment to aviation safety and ensure that all Americans fly with peace of mind.”
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA officials launched an official investigation into the cause of the collision.
More updates are expected as investigations continue.
Top 10% nothing less in this high stakes industry.
This is the first time I disagreed with what Trump was saying, specifically he shouldn’t have gone political when 67 people died and he was there to officially give an announcement of the incident. He should have waited a couple of days.
The White House has no business attributing this incident to anything. Let the NTSB do their job, as they always do, before you start flapping your mouth, Donald. That’s the way it works. Until then, ST*U.
And by the way, if your daughters ever became air traffic controllers, you’d be beaming with pride. If anyone claims they were a DEI hire and therefore less-qualified, you’d be offended. For sure.
Years ago Journalism was an all-male occupation. So how the heck did all these females get into the gig? Was it DEI? Are they really qualified? Maybe they should be offered a “Fork in the Road”. Surely Journalism is only work for White Males, right?
No? Well then consider the parallels: All Journalism requires is intellect, a keyboard, communication skills, and sitting behind a desk. Exactly the same as air traffic controllers!