Former President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by blaming diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies for a tragic plane collision involving an Army Blackhawk helicopter near Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Despite his repeated claims, no evidence has linked DEI initiatives to the crash.
In a series of remarks following the incident, Trump pointed to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) DEI policies, accusing them of contributing to the deadly collision. He also placed blame on Democrats, including Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, for promoting inclusive workplace practices, implying that such policies negatively impacted the quality of air traffic control.
Trump’s comments echoed his ongoing critique of DEI, a recurring target for his political rhetoric. However, the data on air traffic controllers and aviation specialists tells a different story.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau and IPUMS, air traffic controllers remain predominantly male and white. Specifically, 78% of air traffic controllers are male, and 71% are non-Hispanic white. These figures contradict Trump’s claims that diversity efforts in the workforce have compromised safety.
The cause of the collision, which involved a civilian plane and a military helicopter, has not yet been determined, and there is no evidence suggesting that FAA hiring policies played any role in the incident. In fact, statistical data does not support the idea that diversity hiring has led to a decline in aviation safety.
Trump further intensified his criticism in a memo on Thursday, alleging that the Biden administration had “egregiously rejected merit-based hiring” in favor of DEI tactics.
He specifically criticized the FAA’s efforts to recruit individuals with “severe intellectual disabilities,” despite the fact that such regulations were in place throughout his own presidency and even date back to 2013, as confirmed by fact-checking sources like Snopes.
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) swiftly responded to Trump’s remarks, emphasizing that employees with disabilities did not cause the crash. “It is extremely inappropriate for the President to use this tragedy to push an anti-diversity hiring agenda,” the AAPD stated. “Doing so makes all Americans less safe.”
Despite Trump’s claims, the real cause of the crash remains unclear, and the assertion that DEI policies are to blame lacks substantial evidence or support from the available data.
