On Friday (January 31), President Trump reiterated that the plane collision near the Reagan Washington National Airport was caused by the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices implemented by previous administrations.
In an article, Trump wrote, “This is just one reason our country is heading to hell!!” He attached a screenshot outlining the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) encouragement of hiring individuals with “mental disorders” during Biden’s administration, echoing his comments made during a press briefing on Thursday (January 30).
During the press briefing, he stated, “You have to consider mental aptitude, which is a very critical factor. We use very strong tests based on relevant standards. But these tests were terminated by Biden. The standards he adopted are exactly the opposite. So, we do not know.”
He continued, “But what we do know is you have two planes on the same horizontal line. You have a helicopter and a plane. This should not happen.”
He further added, “It is certain that for air traffic controllers, we certainly want the smartest, wisest, and most alert individuals. We want people with better mental aptitude. That’s who we are looking for.”
He pointed out that the helicopter was flying at an excessively high altitude when the accident occurred, and there were reports of abnormal staffing shortages at the air traffic control tower.
Currently, all 67 people on board the two planes have been pronounced dead, and investigations are still ongoing.
Legislators from both the Democratic and Republican parties have warned against premature commentary on the air disaster.
A few days ago, Trump urged the FAA to end DEI hiring and hoped that all federal agencies and departments would enforce this executive order.
Moreover, on Thursday, Trump signed an executive order appointing Chris Rocheleau as the acting head of the FAA until an appropriate candidate is confirmed by the Senate. This position had been vacant as the former head resigned before Trump’s inauguration.
Rocheleau previously served as an FAA official for an extended period. In 2005, he was the Director of the FAA Office, became a senior advisor in 2010, acting director of the Personnel Department from 2015 to 2016, executive assistant to the administrator from 2016 to 2017, and director of the Personnel Department from 2017 to 2020. Later, he served as the Executive Director of International Affairs, Assistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs, and Environment, and Deputy Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety.