12:30 Report — Trump blames DEI, helicopter for crash

12:30 REPORT

It’s Friday. And what a week (and month) this has been. Who knew January was 827 days long? But tomorrow begins a new month. In this edition:

New plane crash details and footage emerge.
Trump blames both the helicopter and DEI for the collision.
Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination is on thin ice.

I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips & feedback to cmartel@thehill.com. Someone forward this to you? Sign up.

💔 Flight 5342

This is so unbelievably sad:

More details are coming to light since the Wednesday evening collision that killed 67 people. The New York Times reviewed an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration safety report, showing that staffing at the air traffic control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.”

One air traffic controller was responsible for two jobs that night: “The controller who was handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways. Those jobs typically are assigned to two controllers, rather than one.” (The New York Times)

Other factors: DCA has one of the busiest runways in the U.S. That’s because it’s a relatively small space with huge demand and traffic. Axios notes that the main runway has roughly 800 takeoffs and landings *per day*. Now, add the helicopters in the airspace.

Plus: Wednesday’s fatal collision has reinvigorated concerns over air traffic controller shortages.

The Wall Street Journal explains how for years, these factors have led to danger signs. “Lawmakers have lobbied to add flights, while pilots have complained about the presence of military and other aircraft.” Read: ‘Washington’s Jam-Packed Airspace Has Prompted Warnings for Years’

📹 CNN obtained new footage of the crash — warning, it’s graphic.

Happening today: Officials are expected to release the entire flight manifest.

What about the black boxes?: Officials said they have recovered the flight data recorders from the plane. 📸 The recovered black boxes

Who has been identified so far?:

16-year-old ice skater Spencer Lane and his mother Christine Lane
13-year-old ice skater Jinna Han and her mother Jin Han.
12-year-old figure skater Brielle Beyer and her mother Justyna Magdalena Beyer, according to NBC News.
One of the American Eagle jet pilots, First Officer Sam Lilley
Two Chinese nationals
Former world champion skaters Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov
Four steamfitters in the United Association
Flight attendant Ian Epstein 📹 Watch this incredible video of Epstein singing to passengers on a recent flight

💔 Here’s a list of confirmed victims

This has already become political…:

Since the deadly plane crash, President Trump has fluctuated between blaming the helicopter for the collision and blaming diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in hiring air traffic controllers.

The helicopter angle: This morning, Trump asserted the helicopter was “flying too high.”

Trump’s full Truth Social post: “The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200-foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it???”

And Thursday evening, he told reporters that “The people in the helicopter should have seen where they were going.”

The DEI angle: Trump has repeatedly suggested (without evidence) that efforts to hire diverse individuals, including those with disabilities, had weakened federal aviation safety.

^ FWIW: This DEI blame caught some Republican senators off guard.

Related read: The Hill’s Niall Stanage explains the political fights that have started brewing since the flight disaster.

Tomorrow may be Tariff Saturday:

President Trump said he plans to make good on his tariff threats this weekend, with plans to implement 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada.

What goods would be affected?: Tomatoes, avocadoes, cars and car parts, to name a few. Affected products

Would that include oil?: TBD. Trump said he hasn’t made that determination.

I just wouldn’t preorder business cards. That’s all I’m saying.:

Director of national intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard walked into Thursday’s confirmation hearing as the nominee with the toughest path to confirmation over some controversial views on foreign policy. She left that hearing with her confirmation in question.

It wasn’t just Democrats lobbing tough questions at her. In fact, her toughest moment came from a Republican.

The biggest moment: Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) pressed Gabbard to call Edward Snowden — a former National Security Agency contractor who stole more than a million classified documents — a “traitor.” Gabbard sidestepped the question and pivoted to her focus of preventing it from happening again.

She turned a ‘yes’ to an ‘uhhh’: Lankford had supported Gabbard heading into yesterday’s hearing but was “surprised” by her response.

Two other GOP senators to watch: Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) appeared to be rankled by Gabbard’s performance. He and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) are still on the fence about supporting her.

Even Republican Sen. Josh Hawley (Mo.) said he’s “worried” her nomination could be in jeopardy.

Keep in mind: Republicans only have a one-seat majority in the Senate Intelligence Committee. Just one “no” vote will tank her nomination. And if she advances out of committee, she will then need all but three GOP “yes” votes (assuming all Democrats vote “no.”)

Read more on her performance: ‘Gabbard in danger after views on Snowden rankle GOP senators’

Plus: Memorable moments from Gabbard’s fiery hearing

➤ TIDBIT FROM THE RFK JR. HEARING:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) got into a yelling match with Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 📹 Watch

➤ MORE READS:

The New York Times: How the World Is Reeling From Trump’s Aid Freeze
The Washington Post: White House eyes fight to expand Trump’s power to control spending
The Wall Street Journal: Trump, Facing Two Crises in His Second Week, Spreads the Blame Around
Op-ed in The Hill: Trump stole the Democrats’ playbook, to win again they should steal his
Vox: How Democrats alienated Big Tech — and why it might not matter

🐝 Internet Buzz

🍫 Celebrate: Today is National Hot Chocolate Day!

🏃‍♀️ Run!: Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) posted a video from the Senate subway. “When you really want to catch the train to vote with two of your favorite colleagues… run like a grandma!” 📹 The video is incredible

🚀 My nosy side has always wanted to know: Washingtonian’s Patrick Hruby gives an inside look at what happens at the NASA center in Maryland. That main photo looks like it’s out of a movie.

🍩 Little baby Glaze: A woman gave birth to her baby in the parking lot of a Krispy Kreme. They’ve nicknamed the baby “Glaze,” and the doughnut chain gave the family free doughnuts for a year.

📆 On The Agenda

The House and Senate are out. (Hey, the Senate is taking another Friday off!) President Trump is in Washington and will head to Florida later today. (all times Eastern)

1 p.m.: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream
3 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders.
5 p.m.: Trump leaves for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla.

👋 And Finally…

This has been a heavy week, so let’s end this with something light. Do you think this dog is happy to be home?

I can’t quite tell.

Stay Engaged

Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.

View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!

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