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Pete Buttigieg blasts ‘despicable’ Donald Trump for blaming D.C. plane crash on DEI

(1) Pete Buttigieg, US secretary of transportation, speaks during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, United States on August 21, 2024. (2) Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.

He was responding to the president’s claim that the former transportation secretary was a “disaster.”

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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday after Trump blamed the deadly midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River on diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring policies.

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The Advocate witnessed the crash from Interstate 295 South on Wednesday evening as the American Eagle Flight 5342, en route to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its approach to Runway 33. All 64 people aboard the jet and three Army service members in the helicopter were killed, according to government reports.

Trump entered the White House press briefing room at 11:20 a.m. ET and began with a moment of silence for the victims before launching into a speech riddled with speculation and political attacks.

“We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas,” Trump said before claiming, without evidence, that the disaster resulted from DEI hiring initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration and what he characterized as prioritizing politics over aviation safety.

Trump derided the FAA’s policies, reading from right-wing media reports that he said showed an emphasis on hiring individuals with disabilities under diversity initiatives. “Can you imagine?” he scoffed. “These are people that are, I mean, actually, their lives are shortened because of the stress that they have. Brilliant people have to be in those positions.”

He continued: “We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are. It matters—intellect, talent. You have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses. You can’t have regular people doing that job.”

Trump also expressed anger toward Buttigieg, labeling him a “disaster” and saying, “He’s just got a good line of bullshit.”

“The FAA, which is overseen by Secretary Pete Buttigieg—real winner, that guy, real winner—do you know how badly everything’s run since he’s run this Department of Transportation?” Trump said. “He’s a disaster. He was a disaster as a mayor. He ran his city into the ground, and he’s a disaster now.”

Throughout the briefing, Trump pointed fingers at nearly everyone—former President Barack Obama, former President Joe Biden, Buttigieg, DEI hiring practices, air traffic controllers, and the military—except himself or his administration. The last deadly plane crash in the United States was nearly 16 years ago, in February 2009.

Trump claimed that Obama had low standards and that Biden had rolled back the aviation safety standards he had claimed to have enacted during his first term. “I put safety first [but] Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen,” he said. “last week, long before the crash, I signed an executive order restoring our highest standards for air traffic controllers and other important jobs throughout the country.”

The “Keeping America Safe in Aviation” order, signed on January 21, claimed that the FAA had “betrayed its mission” under the previous administration by prioritizing DEI hiring over safety. The directive explicitly ordered the FAA to return to “non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring” and rescind all DEI initiatives.

“The Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administrator shall review the past performance and performance standards of all individuals in critical safety positions and take all appropriate action to ensure that any individual who fails or has failed to demonstrate requisite capability is replaced by a high-capability individual that will ensure top-notch air safety and efficiency,” the order states.

Buttigieg, who is gay, responded sharply to Trump’s comments in a statement posted on X:

“Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. 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,” Buttigieg wrote. “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.”

When a reporter pressed Trump on how he could be certain DEI policies played a role in the crash, given the lack of official findings, he dismissed the question outright.

“Because I have common sense, and unfortunately a lot of people don’t,” Trump said. “We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level… You have to be a genius to do this job.”

While Trump’s attacks on DEI policies and Buttigieg were the focus of his remarks, he also seemingly blamed the Army helicopter pilot for the crash.

“The people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going,” Trump said, despite having no official findings to support the assertion. He went on to suggest that the helicopter pilot could have stopped, turned, or adjusted altitude to avoid the collision.

He emphasized what he believed was a failure of “vision,” arguing that the helicopter crew had ample opportunity to see the oncoming jet and take evasive action.

“It was a very clear night. It was cold, but clear and clear as you could be. The American Airlines plane had lights blazing. They had all their landing lights on,” he said. “You could have slowed down the helicopter substantially. You could have stopped the helicopter. You could have gone up, you could have gone down. You could have gone straight up, straight down. You could have turned; you could have done a million different maneuvers. For some reason, it just kept going.”

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation into the incident, with officials emphasizing that both aircraft’s flight paths appeared normal before the collision. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, appearing alongside Trump, vowed a swift investigation, promising results, “Not in three years, not in four years, but as quickly as possible.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the briefing, saying the Army Black Hawk helicopter was conducting a routine training flight and that a “serious elevation issue” contributed to the crash. However, he echoed Trump’s stance against DEI hiring practices, stating, “The era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department, and we need the best and brightest whether it’s in our air traffic control, our generals, or throughout government.”

There is no evidence that DEI measures have negatively affected the aviation industry.

Former pilot and director of pilot outreach for Delta Eric Hendrick recentlytold NBC News that “to weaponize DEI by saying it could threaten public safety is just ridiculous.”

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Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).