Senate Republicans are shying away from backing President Trump’s recent comments suggesting that diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could have been a factor in the recent mid-air collision near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Some were caught off guard on Thursday as they fielded questions from reporters about Trump’s comments following the crash, in which a regional jet collided with a helicopter near the Potomac River.
“The [National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)] is very set up to investigate. They’re going to get to the bottom of this. It’s obviously human error, and it’s horrifying,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) said. “I mean, you get in a plane, you think you’re going to land safely, and, you know — they’ll just have to do the thorough investigation.”
“I don’t know what DEI would have to do with it, but shortages of air traffic controllers, certain protocols that were being done at the airport,” Capito told The Hill, “I don’t know what the contributing factor is, but we’re going to find out and make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) similarly pointed to the NTSB when asked to weigh in on Trump’s latest comments, saying, “This is pretty fresh.”
“Just haven’t even released all the names of those who tragically perished,” he said. “I’m confident the NTSB will do a complete, thorough investigation, and we’ll see what the recommendations are.”
Asked if he’s concerned about the crash becoming politicized, Daines said, “anytime there’s a tragedy, it can be politicized,” but said there “will be a thorough investigation.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) also seemed to downplay Trump’s recent comments, saying “he just made a comment about DEI as a problem,” while adding he doesn’t know “if there’s any connection.”
At a press conference about the deadly incident on Thursday, Trump took aim at hiring initiatives under the Biden and Obama administrations while saying former head of the Transportation Department, Pete Buttigieg, ran it “right into the ground with his diversity.”
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) also questioned whether diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives played “a role in this type of thing” during an appearance on Fox Business.
The NTSB is leading a probe into the incident.
Roughly 60 people were potentially aboard the plane. Officials say there were no survivors from the recent collision, as dozens of bodies have been recovered from the wreckage.
