Black elected officials are condemning President Donald Trump‘s remarks on Thursday in which he blamed DEI hiring for the deadly Washington, D.C., airport collision of an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter. The Democratic leaders say that rather than bringing the country together and focusing the attention on the 67 victims and their families, Trump decided to traffic in “racist” attacks on communities of color and women.
“This is a tragedy that occurred above DCA airport. Lives have been lost. Families have been devastated. People are suffering, and the leader of this country decides to go out and pedal lies, conspiracy theories, and attack people of color and women without any basis whatsoever,” said House of Representatives Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in a video posted on X. “Have you no decency? Have you no respect for families whose lives have been turned upside down?”
During a press conference Thursday morning, Trump suggested that DEI policies at the Federal Aviation Administration from previous Democratic administrations could be a cause for Wednesday’s deadly crash into the Potomac River at the Ronald Reagon Washington National Airport.
“I put safety first, [Presidents] [Barack] Obama, [Joe] Biden, and … the Democrats put policy first, and they put politics at a level that nobody’s ever seen because this was the lowest level,” said the president inside the White House James Brady Press Briefing Room. When asked directly by reporters whether he was blaming the deadly collision on DEI and whether there was any evidence to support it, Trump said, “It just could have been.”
Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, D-N.Y., wrote on X, “While families grieve and our nation mourns the 67 victims of last night’s heartbreaking crash, Donald Trump and his cronies are already abusing this tragedy to further their racist, repugnant agenda.”
In a separate statement on behalf of the CBC, Clarke said, “Not only are the President’s claims untrue, they also speak to the Republican Party’s desire to divide us as a country.” The congresswoman said diversity policies “work to benefit all Americans who have traditionally been kept out of opportunities, including white women, veterans, and aging Americans.”
She continued, “Not just the Black and minority communities that Trump and Republicans want to scapegoat and villainize for political gain.” Clarke declared, “We are not going back!”
Since entering office on Jan. 20, Trump and his administration have taken aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion as a major focus of their agenda. The president signed multiple executive orders to end DEI programs and offices throughout the federal government. Targeting DEI, critical race theory, and all things considered “woke” has been a political priority for Republicans and has only intensified following court rulings ending affirmative action and diversity programs in education and the private sector.
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement to theGrio, “While human bodies are still being pulled from the Potomac, Donald Trump is blaming white women and minorities for the deadly crash under the guise of DEI.”
“We should all expect our President to lead us with sympathy and compassion during a monumental tragedy such as a fatal airline crash that claimed 67 lives,” the congresswoman continued. “Instead, he is lambasting armed services personnel, pilots and air traffic controllers for a crash that is unprecedented and is still under investigation. The response from the White House lacks leadership; it’s abysmal and sickening.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., similarly called Trump’s remarks “disgusting, racist and sexist.” She added, “Their reckless actions have consequences and they should be held accountable.”
Federal, state and local officials have maintained that there is no information yet available to conclude what was the cause of Wednesday’s deadly collision.
