Trump Blames DEI for Mid-Air Collision in DC

US President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed diversity policies under Barack Obama and Joe Biden for poor safety standards after a deadly crash in which a military helicopter collided with a passenger plane over Washington.

- Agencies

WASHINGTON:

"I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first," Trump said. "They actually came out with a directive: 'too white.' And we want the people that are competent."

The US Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet was being operated on a training flight by a "fairly experienced crew" with night-vision goggles, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, as the Pentagon ordered a 48-hour pause in flying for the Virginia-based unit involved.

In addition, Daniel Driscoll, President Donald Trump's nominee for Army secretary, told a Senate hearing that the crash on Wednesday night appears to have been preventable, and he raised questions about whether training should take place near a busy airport.