"Trump Fires Back at Diversity Policies in Wake of Air Tragedy"

Trump recently criticized the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) diversity and inclusion hiring initiative, which reportedly favored applicants with disabilities such as hearing and vision impairments, missing limbs, partial or total paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric conditions, and dwarfism.

An archived version of the FAA's diversity and inclusion page, which appears to have been removed in December, also outlined a similar list. The agency was specifically targeting individuals with “disabilities” prioritized by the federal government for recruitment at that time.

However, it remains unclear how this initiative to diversify hiring might have affected the air traffic controller workforce. Trump claimed that air traffic controllers should be "naturally talented geniuses." The FAA employs more than 35,000 people, but only a small percentage of them are air traffic controllers.

In response to criticisms about its diversity hiring policies last year, the FAA issued a statement emphasizing that all new hires must meet "rigorous qualifications," which "vary by position."

The FAA has long faced scrutiny over a shortage of air traffic controllers, a problem exacerbated by the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent reports suggest that staffing levels at Reagan airport were potentially compromised one Wednesday night.

In his comments, Trump specifically blamed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, part of the Biden administration, whom he insulted and accused of running the department “into the ground.”

Buttigieg quickly defended his record on social media, calling Trump’s remarks “despicable” and saying, “As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also condemned Trump’s comments. "It's one thing for online pundits to spread conspiracies, but it's another for a former president to speculate like this while recovery efforts are still underway," Schumer stated.

Once Trump deviated from his prepared speech, he focused heavily on speculation. Alongside his criticisms of diversity policies, he discussed the angles and altitudes of two aircraft, the weather conditions that night, the Potomac’s temperature, and the behavior of an Army helicopter. "We had a helicopter that could have stopped, but for some reason, it just kept going," Trump said.

The following evening, the White House reinforced Trump’s stance, blaming diversity initiatives for the incident. Trump signed a memorandum aimed at ending diversity programs in the aviation sector and ordered a review of safety protocols. He also signed an executive order to appoint a new FAA head.

Two key takeaways from Trump’s remarks on Thursday were evident. First, his drive to remain a central figure in major news stories hasn’t faded in his new term. Second, he wasted no time using a national tragedy to advance his political agenda, attack his opponents, and insert partisan rhetoric.