GOP senators caught off guard by Trump DEI comments after plane crash

Senate Republicans are shying away from backing President Trump’s recent comments suggesting that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could have been a factor in the recent midair collision near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Some were caught off guard on Thursday as they fielded questions from reporters about Trump's comments following the crash, in which a regional jet collided with a helicopter near the Potomac River.

“The [National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)] is very set up to investigate. They're going to get to the bottom of this. It's obviously human error, and it's horrifying,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said. “I mean, you get in a plane, you think you're going to land safely, and, you know — they'll just have to do the thorough investigation.”

“I don't know what DEI would have to do with it, but shortages of air traffic controllers, certain protocols that were being done at the airport,” Capito told The Hill, “I don't know what the contributing factor is, but we're going to find out and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) similarly pointed to the NTSB when asked to weigh in on Trump's latest comments, saying, "This is pretty fresh."

“Just haven't even released all the names of those who tragically perished,” he said. “I'm confident the NTSB will do a complete, thorough investigation, and we'll see what the recommendations are.”

Asked if he's concerned about the crash becoming politicized, Daines said, "Anytime there's a tragedy, it can be politicized," but he said there "will be a thorough investigation."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also seemed to downplay Trump’s recent comments, saying “he just made a comment about DEI as a problem,” while adding he doesn’t know “if there’s any connection.”

At a press conference about the deadly incident on Thursday, Trump took aim at hiring initiatives under the Biden and Obama administrations while saying the former head of the Transportation Department, Pete Buttigieg, ran it "right into the ground with his diversity."

Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) also questioned whether DEI initiatives played “a role in this type of thing” during an appearance on Fox Business.

The NTSB is leading a probe into the incident.

Just more than 60 people were aboard the plane. Officials say there were no survivors from the recent collision, as dozens of bodies have been recovered from the wreckage.

Topics

Live updates: Trump takes aim at DEI after plane crash; Gabbard pressed on Snowden

President Trump on Thursday appeared to blame diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for weakening safety following a deadly midair collision near Washington, D.C. Over ...
The Hill - 2h
Trump lashes out at Biden, DEI efforts after D.C. plane crash

President Donald Trump, without offering evidence, said the collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter "could have been" due to DEI.
CNBC - 4h
NTSB addresses Trump's DEI comments on D.C. crash

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said investigators will look at "the human, the machine, and the environment" per standard protocol when questioned about President Trump's suggestion that DEI policies ...
NBC News - 5h
Trump rails against DEI after deadly D.C. plane crash

Following the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and a military helicopter, President Donald Trump put the blame on Federal Aviation Administration's diversity, equity and ...
NBC News - 8h
CBC blasts Trump's DEI comments after Potomac plane crash

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) on Thursday sharply criticized President Trump for casting blame for the fatal plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on diversity, equity and ...
The Hill - 3h
Senate Democrat: Trump DEI remarks in wake of DC plane crash 'stomach-turning'

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said during an interview that President Trump’s criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the wake of the plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington ...
The Hill - 4h