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Trump’s FAA Sabotage Led to Air Traffic Disaster—Not DEI PDF Print E-mail
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Written by Laura Kiefert, Green Bay Progressive   
Friday, 31 January 2025 17:41

trump-press-conf-2025Trump's tone-deaf attempt to turn the DC plane crash into an excuse to scapegoat diversity initiatives only shows his dishonesty and incompetence.


LAKE GENEVA, WI - Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to blame diversity initiatives for the recent plane and helicopter collision near Washington, D.C. is not just absurd—it’s another blatant example of his dishonesty and incompetence. A preliminary report from the Federal Aviation Administration exposes the real problem: dangerously low staffing levels at the control tower of Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), a crisis that has been years in the making, exacerbated by Trump’s own policies.

According to The New York Times, the FAA’s internal report confirms that only one air traffic controller was on duty at the time of the crash—despite standard protocol requiring two. Handling both helicopter and plane traffic simultaneously is a complex job, often requiring different radio frequencies. With only one controller juggling both, pilots couldn’t communicate with one another, increasing the risk of a deadly accident.

laura-kiefertThis staffing shortage is no coincidence. For years, DCA’s control tower has been critically understaffed, operating with just 19 fully certified controllers as of September 2023—far below the recommended 30. The reason? Employee burnout, high turnover, and, most notably, budget cuts. Trump’s federal hiring freeze, his reckless dismantling of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and his FAA chief’s resignation at the whims of Elon Musk have only worsened an already dangerous situation.

Yet, instead of acknowledging his role in gutting essential agencies and leaving them woefully unprepared, Trump, true to form, is pointing fingers at DEI initiatives—a tired, baseless scapegoat he and the far right trot out whenever they need to deflect blame. But no amount of racist dog-whistling can change the facts: Trump’s policies have hollowed out critical institutions, weakened aviation safety, and put American lives at risk. If he and his enablers want to find someone to blame, they should start with the man in the mirror.

 
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