Washington Plane Crash: Trump Blames Biden's Diversity Laws For Mishap

During a conference following the tragic aircraft crash near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport that killed all 67 people onboard, US President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at the previous Biden and Obama administrations over adopting diversity policies.

Despite having no evidence whatsoever to back his controversial claims, Trump held the air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots, and Democratic policies at federal agencies accountable for the mishap.

The deadly midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines flight near Washington DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials confirmed on Thursday. The massive aviation disaster is considered the deadliest in the history of the United States since the November 2001 plane crash that killed all 260 people onboard.

What All Did Trump Say?

While acknowledging the unavailability of any vetted input on what led to the deadly plane crash so far as the official investigations are yet to take place, the US President didn't stop himself from leveling unfounded allegations against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas," Trump said as quoted by Reuters while claiming that FAA was “actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative."

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first. They actually came out with a directive: 'too white.' And we want the people that are competent”, NDTV quoted Trump saying.

According to a report by India Today, Trump said "We have to have our smartest people" as air traffic controllers. "It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. They have to be talented, naturally talented. Geniuses. Can’t have regular people doing their job," he said.

Later, Vice President JD Vance also doubled down on casting blame on the diversity hiring.

Trump's 'Two Gender' Executive Order

Donald Trump on January 21 signed an executive order to ensure that the US federal government officially recognises only two genders- male and female. "As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders - male and female," Trump said.

The decision puts an end to all official policies that so far recognized a third gender, denoted by an "X" on US passports.

According to incoming White House officials, from now onwards, genders assigned at birth cannot be changed. "These are sexes that are not changeable, and they are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality," they said, as per a report by NDTV.

In line with his anti-gender diversity stance, Trump during his first term as US President, declared a ban on transgender troops serving in the military and halted the recruitment of transgender personnel. However, the policy was reversed by Joe Biden after he took office in 2021.

Trump's Order On Transgender Military Troops

Days after a crackdown on gender diversity programs, Trump signed an executive order directing US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to revise the Pentagon's policy on transgender troops. The move is likely to lead to a future ban on their military service.

In a controversial order, Trump directed Hegseth to come up with how the ban on transgender military troops would be implemented in policy.

According to the US president, the service by troops who identify as a gender other than their biological one “conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honourable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life” and is harmful to military readiness, requiring a revised policy to address the matter, as per the Associated Press.

This was not the first time Trump tried to impose a ban on transgender troops. During his first term, the attempt failed as it was under legal scrutiny for years before Joe Biden overturned it shortly after assuming the office.

Trump Rolls Back DEI Initiatives

In line with his anti-gender diversity stance, Trump also issued a sweeping order to abolish all programs, initiatives, and mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the Defense Department and the Coast Guard.

The order prohibits the departments from promoting or following "un-American" theories that suggest that America's founding documents are racist or sexist, that discuss gender ideology, and that promote “divisive concepts” such as “race or sex stereotyping.”

The order says the defense and homeland security secretaries must issue guidance to implement the order in 30 days. It calls for a review to find any instances of actions taken in pursuit of DEI, which will be due to the defense secretary in 90 days.