Within just 11 days of becoming president, Donald Trump was faced with a national tragedy after a midair collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter claimed the lives of dozens of people. Trump’s response deviated from typical presidential responses to tragedies, as he quickly pointed fingers and used the moment to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. He faced criticism for politicizing the tragedy and focusing attention away from the victims and recovery efforts. Aviation experts, such as former FAA investigator Jeff Guzzetti, criticized Trump for his comments undermining the investigation and for his lack of adherence to standards for providing information after an accident. Trump’s Cabinet members, Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy, further supported his stance against diversity programs in the aviation industry. Despite facing backlash, Trump continued to blame diversity programs and criticized former officials, such as Barack Obama and Joe Biden, for supporting these programs. He appointed Christopher Rocheleau as acting FAA commissioner and signed an executive order aiming to restore higher standards at the agency by scaling back DEI programs. Conservative commentators have also raised concerns about DEI in the aviation industry, although there is no evidence linking diversity efforts to safety issues. The aviation industry faces shortages in air traffic controllers and pilot jobs, with experts noting that DEI is not a problem in an industry lacking diversity.
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