WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In the wake of the deadly air crash in Washington, President Donald Trump has ordered the Secretary of Transportation and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the Biden administration.
Trump ordered immediate assessment of U.S. aviation safety hours after an American Airlines flight carrying 64 people collided with a US Army helicopter over a Washington, DC, river, Wednesday night.
Both the aircraft had crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.
More than 40 bodies have been recovered from the Potomac River, while the remaining victims are still missing. There are reportedly no survivors.
In a memo issued to the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA Administrator, Trump blamed the deadliest U.S. plane crash in more than two decades on 'the problematic and likely illegal decisions during the Obama and Biden Administrations that minimized merit and competence in the Federal Aviation Administration.'
He accused the Biden Administration of rejecting merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous 'diversity equity and inclusion' tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with 'severe intellectual' disabilities in the FAA.
Trump urged the two top aviation authorities to take necessary corrective action to achieve uncompromising aviation safety, including the replacement of any individuals who do not meet qualification standards. 'This review shall include a systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration.'
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the deadly midair collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, said the plane's black boxes have been recovered.
The FAA said it will quickly take any actions necessary based on evidence from the investigation.
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