'Despicable': Trump under fire for linking Washington plane crash to diversity - as he jokes about swimming in river

31 January 2025, 00:08 | Updated: 4 February 2025, 13:22

Donald Trump has been heavily criticised for suggesting diversity policies are to blame for a plane crash that killed 67 people in Washington DC.

Mr Trump claimed that federal aviation bosses were hiring people with "severe intellectual disabilities" and said that he had "some very strong opinions" about what caused the mid-air collision.

He also suggested that race or gender may have had a role to play in the crash, although he also admitted that he had no evidence for such a claim.

Democrat politicians hit out at the president in response, with former Transport Secretary and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg calling his remarks "despicable".

The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, was coming to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew, with three US Army soldiers on board the Blackhawk helicopter.

All 67 people involved in the crash died.

Read more: Washington plane crash LIVE: Air traffic control at airport was 'understaffed' on night of disaster

Read more: 'Like a war zone': Washington plane crash witness describes scene of horror he saw from his window

In the wake of the crash, Mr Trump addressed the nation, suggesting diversity hires, Joe Biden and Barack Obama were to blame.

Speaking at the White House, he said: “We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas.

"We have to have our smartest people.

"They have to be naturally talented geniuses."

He added: "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website."

He accused the Democrats of choosing “policy over safety” as he hailed his own efforts to improve regulation.

"I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary," Trump said.

"When I left office and Biden took over he changed them back to lower than ever before, I put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first, they put politics at a level that nobody's ever seen because this was the lowest level."

He said the crash had ushered in an “hour of anguish” for all American people.

Search and rescue operations continue in Washington D.C. after midair crash

"This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history and a tragedy of terrible proportions as one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly," Mr Trump added.

The remarks sparked outrage from Mr Trump's opponents, with Mr Buttigieg saying that the president "should be leading, not lying."

Defending his own record in charge, he said: "We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch.

"President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe.

"Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again."

Meanwhile Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat congresswoman, claimed that Mr Trump himself had "gutted" air traffic control.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez, who represents a New York district that includes a major airport, said Trump's efficiency drive would cut down the number of working air traffic controllers - whose numbers are already low.

In a social media post, Ocasio-Cortez said: "I represent LaGuardia Airport as well as workers for JFK.

"Trump gutted the Aviation Safety committee last week.

"Air traffic controllers - already understaffed - got Trump’s “buyout” this week with a 1 week ultimatum to decide.

"It’s not DEI - it’s him. And Elon too."

Iain hangs up on journalist who supports Trump's 'diversity' plane crash comments

Speaking later, Mr Trump said he would visit the families of the victims, and also appeared to joke about going swimming at the crash site.

He told reporters: "I have a plan to visit – not the site. Because what – you tell me. What's the site? Water. We're going to go swimming."

It is still unclear what caused the crash. Recovery workers are said to have found two black boxes, which will give them more information about what was going on onboard the aircraft.

Meanwhile it has also been reported that the air traffic control tower at the airport was understaffed on Wednesday night.

The airport normally has a controller who focuses only on helicopter traffic - but on Wednesday night one controller was covering both planes and helicopters, NBC News reported, citing insiders.

Witness describes Washington plane crash

This is within regulations but is abnormal for the airport.

Police divers and boats are searching the water for bodies, but conditions are described as "extremely rough" with "blocks of ice" in the recently frozen river.

The operation is expected to last at least several days.

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall has spoken of his "unbearable sorrow".

The collision happened on approach to Runway 33 at around 9pm local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The helicopter was on a training exercise, they added.

Writing on TruthSocial last night, Trump said the collision was a “bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented".

“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.

"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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” the president continued.

Matthew Cappucci, senior meteorologist at the Washington Post, who lives in a 20th floor flat overlooking the runway at Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C, told LBC on Wednesday morning that it was likely to be the helicopter's fault.

"One thing that you know from a weather perspective, obviously I'm an atmospheric scientist, visibility was not an issue.

"We have perfect visibility right now. The air is very dry. So visibility should not have been an issue for the passenger plane that was landing.

"As they make that left turn at the last moment, there's a good chance that, you know, with the wing sort of up and right, there may have been a blind spot for the pilots of the commercial aircraft flight where they wouldn't have been able to see the helicopter.

"So this likely was the helicopter's fault, if you will.

"But of course the NTSB National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating in cooperation with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)."