Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Independent TV

Showing now | News

Washington DC collision: Trump blames diversity and inclusion for crash that claimed 70 lives

01:25

Watch: Donald Trump blames diversity and inclusion for Washington DC crash that claimed 67 lives

President Donald Trump claimed the DEI “could have been to blame” for the collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington DC.

Officials fear as many as 67 people have been killed after both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River following the collision on Wednesday evening (29 January).

Addressing the nation at a White House press conference today (30 January), the president suggested the Federal Aviation Administration's diversity efforts have made air travel less safe.

Trump said: “The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website.”

When asked if the crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring, the president replied: “It just could have been.”

Up next

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in