President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official to review "all hiring decisions" and safety protocol changes during former President Joe Biden's administration, following the fatal crash of American Flight 5342.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Transportation and FAA for comment via email on Thursday evening.
The Context
Trump has blamed both the Obama and Biden administrations and diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives and policies for the fatal plane and helicopter crash in Washington D.C., which is the largest aviation disaster in the U.S. involving a commercial aircraft in over a decade.
His Thursday memo urges the department leads to review hiring changes during the Biden's tenure.
What To Know
On Wednesday night, the plane, which had 60 passengers and four crew members onboard, had a midair collision with a Black Hawk Army helicopter. The flight had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, and was approaching landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when it collided with the Sikorsky H-60 helicopter, which was on a training flight with a crew of three based out of Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
All 67 people involved are reported dead, according to officials on Thursday. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
During a Thursday press conference, Trump said that his standards are the "complete opposite" of what the Biden administration had in place and pointed to DEI efforts as potentially responsible for the crash.
DEI has been a hot topic of the Trump administration since the Republican took office on January 20, and then shortly after he issued an executive order to "terminate" the federal government's DEI programs.
The initiatives are meant to promote fair treatment and full participation of all individuals, particularly those from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups. Trump's executive order to end the DEI programs has left many agencies in the lurch, figuring out how to interpret the broad orders.
In a White House memo shared with Newsweek on Thursday afternoon, the Trump administration reiterated blame on the previous Democratic administrations, writing: "This shocking event [the crash] follows problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)."
Later in the memo, Trump ordered the Secretary of Transportation and administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration "to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior 4 years, and to take such corrective action as necessary to achieve uncompromised aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualifications standards."
He continued: "This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden administration."
The memo concluded with Trump directing the top transit and aviation officials to "take all actions necessary to reverse concerning safety and personnel trends during the prior 4 years."
Trump said during the press conference: "I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary," adding that people hired "have to be the highest intellect and psychological aptitude that were allowed to be qualified for air traffic controllers."
What People Are Saying
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said in a video statement: "This is a difficult day for all of us at American Airlines, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, partners, first responders, along with their families and loved ones. We understand and appreciate the people are eager for information, please know that we will continue to share accurate and timely information as soon as we can, but anything we must report, must be accurate."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said at the Thursday press conference: "We will have the best and brightest in every position possible."
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at the Thursday press conference: "We will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck."
He also told reporters on Thursday, "What I've seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely."
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday: "A heartbreaking tragedy for Wichita, and for our entire country."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said on X on Thursday: "It's one thing for internet pundits to spew up conspiracy theories. It's another for the president of the United States of America to throw out idle speculation even as victims are still being recovered and families are still being notified. It turns your stomach."
What Happens Next
The investigation into the crash continues. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has confirmed it has not yet located flight data recorders, or black boxes, from the passenger airplane or military helicopter involved in Wednesday's crash.
However, board member J. Todd Inman expressed confidence that the data recorders will be recovered.
![[WATCH] Katt Williams Reveals Wild Encounter with Harvey Weinstein: “He Offered Me Two Actresses Like Playing Cards”](https://thesource.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/FacebookLogoTest.png)
English (US) ·