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.

No survivors have been found or are expected, authorities said Thursday at an early-morning press conference.

Authorities have moved to recovery efforts in the crash, which Trump and his newly minted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both said they believed was preventable.

The flight, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was en route from Wichita, Kan., to Washington, D.C. It collided with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Va.

The crash is creating a tragic background for a busy day of confirmation hearings in the Senate that are crucial for Trump.

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee and was pressed on past statements defending Edward Snowden, her 2017 trip to Syria, and her views on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

At the same time, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appeared for his second hearing to lead the Department of Health and Human Services before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). And Kash Patel appeared before the Judiciary Committee in his bid to lead the FBI.

Follow along below for today's updates.

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