Trump's controversial comments on diversity hiring spark major backlash online

Trump links federal diversity efforts to Washington air crash that killed 67, despite no evidence backing his claims.

A collision between an American Airlines jet and a U.S. Army helicopter at Reagan Airport killed 67, the worst in 20 years.

The crash, which occurred on January 30, involved 64 people aboard the plane and three soldiers in the helicopter. Authorities have confirmed there were no survivors.

Despite an ongoing investigation, former President Donald Trump blamed federal diversity initiatives, claiming without evidence that hiring standards have been compromised. He suggested that efforts under his predecessor, Joe Biden, to promote diversity within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could have contributed to the crash. However, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated there was no indication of communication failures or irregular flight patterns.

The crash took place in a high-traffic airspace near Washington, D.C., raising concerns about Reagan National Airport’s crowded runways. Air traffic control recordings indicate that controllers warned the helicopter of the approaching jet and instructed it to change course.

Among the victims were U.S. and Russian figure skaters, including former world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. The skating community expressed deep sorrow over the loss.

Trump’s comments sparked outrage online, with critics accusing him of politicizing the tragedy. Social media users and aviation experts pushed back, pointing out that there was no evidence linking diversity efforts to the crash.

Trump, while people are mourning chose to try to blame a plane crash on “Diversity”

Was it a woman?

A person of color?

LGBTQIA?

A disabled person?

What a disgrace this clown is.#planecrash #TrumpisaNationalDisgrace #ImpeachTrumpNOW Pete Buttigieg Blackhawk DEI pic.twitter.com/WCOC8Qgeu8

— Blue J. 💙 (@JLM000) January 30, 2025

Donald Trump is such a piece of dog shit.. Only guy that can take a tragedy like what happened in Washington last night & turn it into a political situation. He doesn't give two shits about the victims . And just rambling on and on. #planecrash #TrumpisaNationalDisgrace

— Todd Roberts (@ToRobert38) January 30, 2025

67 people lost their fucking lives, 67 families are GRIEVING and this orange bitch REALLY took a moment to address the country with a SHREAD of decency and human emotions and turned it political blaming Obama and Biden administrations and dei policies.... #planecrash pic.twitter.com/cYnlv6AWY3

— A boy has no president... (@Cee_dot_Moody) January 30, 2025

Officials continue to investigate the cause of the accident, with dive teams recovering one of the plane’s black boxes. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin stated that most bodies had been recovered, and authorities are analyzing crash data for further insights.