Virginia Democrat says 'buck stops' with Trump after DC plane crash
Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) said on Friday that President Trump should be held accountable for potential issues that led to the deadly airplane crash this past week, noting the incident occurred while he was already in office.
In an interview with MSNBC's Ali Velshi, Vindman said there's no "warmup" period for presidents before they bear responsibility for crises on their watches.
“The buck stops with the president,” Vindman said. “There’s no warmup period for the president of the United States. There's no warmup period for the Cabinet. He is the president of the United States. He has a Cabinet that's in place.”
“If he wants to take responsibility for a raft of illegal executive orders, he better take responsibility for being the president and being in charge when a plane goes down in Washington, D.C., and it's as simple as that.”
“It's on him. It's on his shoulders,” he added.
Trump, at a press conference Thursday, said it was not clear whether air traffic controllers made a mistake but pledged to investigate all angles of the crash. He also knocked his Democratic predecessors over aviation standards, suggesting that the Democrats didn’t put safety first and that diversity initiatives have weakened the Federal Aviation Administration.
Pressed by reporters on how he could conclude that diversity had something to do with the crash, Trump said, “Because I have common sense, OK? And unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.”
“We want brilliant people doing this. This is a major chess game at the highest level. When you have 60 planes coming in during a short period of time, and they’re all coming in different directions, and you’re dealing with very high-level computer, computer work and very complex computers.”
The cause of the crash between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter Wednesday night is still unknown, and investigative authorities have not publicly indicated who could be responsible for the crash.
Topics
-
‘Stomach-turning’: Democrats condemn Trump’s DEI claims after Washington plane crash
Political leaders clash over Trump linking diversity, equity and inclusion practices with collision that killed 67 people. US political leaders clashed on Sunday over Donald Trump’s controversial ...The Guardian - 2h -
Vance defends Trump's DEI comments after DC plane crash: Trump 'wasn't blaming anybody'
Vice President JD Vance stood by President Trump’s remarks linking diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices to the plane crash Wednesday night. In an interview on Fox News Channel’s ...The Hill - 8h -
Trump points blame at diversity programs for tragic DC plane crash
As President Trump is offering his support to the families of the deadly plane crash in Washington, D.C., he is facing backlash for politicizing the tragedy and placing blame on government ...NBC News - 2d -
Trump rails against DEI after DC plane crash, but it doesn't apply to controllers
Donald Trump claimed, without citing evidence, that DEI initiatives at the FAA were partly to blame for the tragic plane and helicopter collision in D.C.ABC News - 2d -
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 - 3d -
The Guardian view on the Washington DC plane crash: Trump’s warped priorities | Editorial
The president is more concerned with attacking the federal government than with putting safety first. Few stretches of airspace on the planet are as busy or as carefully monitored as the skies ...The Guardian - 3d -
WATCH: DC plane crash 'is truly devastating,' says Wichita mayor
Wichita, Kansas mayor Lily Wu discusses the American Airlines jet that went down in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after departing from Wichita, Kansas.ABC News - 3d
More from The Hill
-
Musk calls GOP senator a ‘great ally’ after previously blasting him over Gabbard nomination
Tech billionaire Elon Musk called GOP Sen. Todd Young (Ind.) a “great ally” after he previously criticized the lawmaker over Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to become Director of National Intelligence. ...The Hill - 36m -
Klobuchar says Trump tariffs are 'not what American economy needs right now'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) criticized President Trump’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and 10 percent on Chinese exports. In an interview on MSNBC’s “Inside ...The Hill - 46m -
Trudeau, Sheinbaum vow to 'enhance the strong bilateral relations' amid US tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to “enhance the strong bilateral relations” the same day President Trump went forward with tariffs on their ...The Hill - 57m -
Canadian PM candidate calls Trump tariffs 'a betrayal of America’s closest friend'
Chrystia Freeland, former Canadian deputy prime minister, said on Sunday that President Trump’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods is a “betrayal” and an “act of economic ...The Hill - 1h -
Passengers, crew killed in 'high-impact' air ambulance crash in Philadelphia identified
Authorities said a seventh person, who had been in a car at the time of the crash, has died. Their identity has not yet been released.The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Trump's antagonism toward U.S. allies risks pushing them closer to China
If foreign leaders have learned anything about Donald Trump’s presidency, it may be that they’re better off as America’s foe than its friend.NBC News - 11m -
Trump's antagonism toward U.S. allies risks pushing them closer to China
If foreign leaders have learned anything about Donald Trump’s presidency, it may be that they’re better off as America’s foe than its friend.NBC News - 11m -
Musk calls GOP senator a ‘great ally’ after previously blasting him over Gabbard nomination
Tech billionaire Elon Musk called GOP Sen. Todd Young (Ind.) a “great ally” after he previously criticized the lawmaker over Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to become Director of National Intelligence. ...The Hill - 36m -
Klobuchar says Trump tariffs are 'not what American economy needs right now'
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) criticized President Trump’s decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and 10 percent on Chinese exports. In an interview on MSNBC’s “Inside ...The Hill - 46m -
Trudeau, Sheinbaum vow to 'enhance the strong bilateral relations' amid US tariffs
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to “enhance the strong bilateral relations” the same day President Trump went forward with tariffs on their ...The Hill - 57m