During a recent press conference, Donald Trump was questioned about his plans to visit a nearby crash site, to which he responded with sarcasm, referring to it as “the water” and joking about swimming. The reporter remarked on the possibility of Trump meeting with first responders, but Trump instead claimed he would connect with families of victims, despite there being no survivors from the crash involving a plane and helicopter, which resulted in dozens of fatalities.
Trump controversially attributed the accident to diversity hiring initiatives within the Biden Administration, suggesting that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recruited individuals with various disabilities. He stated that this approach compromised safety standards. In contrast, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg condemned Trump’s comments as “despicable”, defending the safety record during his tenure by highlighting zero commercial airline crash fatalities.
Details surrounding the accident reveal that only one air traffic controller was on duty, managing both local and helicopter traffic—an unusual circumstance, as indicated by an internal FAA report. Recovery efforts for the victims are underway in the Potomac River, with a death toll estimated at sixty-seven people.