President Donald Trump on Jan. 30 alleged that the midair crash that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan National Airport was influenced by the Biden administration’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first…” Trump said. The accident – the deadliest U.S. plane crash since November 2001 – occurred at around 9 p.m. on Jan. 29. Trump accused former President Joe Biden of weakening hiring standards for air traffic controllers, alleging that the Transportation Department led by former Secretary Pete Buttigieg prioritized hiring “[controllers] with severe disabilities.” Buttigieg responded to Trump’s allegations in a post on X. “Despicable. As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying,” he said. “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.” The former transportation secretary pointed out that the Trump administration now leads both the military and the FAA. “One of [Trump’s] 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 […]