'Disgusting': Donald Trump Ridiculed for Suggesting the Washington, D.C., Plane Crash Could Have Been Caused by DEI Hiring

President Donald Trump was mocked on social media after he suggested that diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation could have caused the Washington, D.C., plane crash.

During Trump's first press conference after a plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., the president was asked by a reporter if he was saying this crash was caused as a result of diversity hiring.

He responded, "It could have been."

Social media blew up with clips of Trump's comments being shared thousands of times on various platforms, where critics called him out for politicizing a tragedy hours after it happened.

One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, shared the clip and wrote: "Translation: 'I have absolutely zero evidence that it was due to a DEI hire, but that won't stop me from pure speculation & trying to place the blame anywhere else besides at my feet.'"

Another X user commented: "This is NOT what the POTUS should be doing. You don't guess as to what happen[ed]. You wait until you have all the facts. This is so dangerous and irresponsible. There is no need to try and blame anyone for anything until the investigation is over and you have all the facts."

A third person shared: "This is absolutely disgusting. Using a mass casualty event to further push their narrative on DEI without a single piece of evidence. Deplorable behavior."

Trump defended his statement: "I’m not blaming the controller. I’m saying there are things you could question."

The president also went after former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, accusing them of prioritizing DEI hiring practices instead of FAA safety. The blame then turned to labeling air traffic controllers as incompetent and mentally incapable of doing their jobs.

"We have a high standard. We’ve had a higher, much higher standard than anybody else. And there are things where you have to go by brain power," Trump told the White House press pool.

"You have to go by psychological quality, and psychological quality is a very important element of it," he continued. "These are various very powerful tests that we put to use and they were terminated by Biden, and Biden went by a standard that’s the exact opposite."