The country was still reeling from a horrible plane crash that killed 67 people.  The U. S. Army chopper and a commercial airliner had collided mid-air.  Trump was quick to point out diversity initiatives as the villain.  He blamed the deaths on the policy during the press conference.  This was all while families were still mourning their losses.  Trump tried to comfort them by expressing his sorrow.  He said "Our hearts are shattered alongside yours. "  Trump was all over the map when he started speculating about what caused the disaster.  He questioned the helicopter pilot's actions.  He also said they should have separated the two aircrafts by different altitudes.  He blamed Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary, for this.  He called him a "Disaster".  He also trashed Biden's administration.  He said they had put unqualified people in critical positions.  He said they had "hearing and vision issues, as well as paralysis, epilepsy, and dwarfism. "  He didn't provide any evidence.

   Trump's comments were met with criticism.  Democrats called his comments "Despicable".  They said the President shouldn't be spreading lies.  They also criticized his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This was not the first time Trump had made controversial statements.  He did the same thing during the pandemic briefings.

   Trump avoided any blame on his own administration.

   He blamed the Biden administration's diversity initiatives for the crash.  He declared that air traffic controllers need to be "brilliant. "  He also said they need to be "naturally talented geniuses. "  He claimed that they can't be regular people.  He signed an executive order ending diversity initiatives at the FAA soon after taking office last week.  He also got rid of an advisory committee on aviation safety.  This committee was created after the 1988 PanAm 103 bombing.  This was a terrorist attack where a plane was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland.  Federal officials had been raising concerns for years.  They said the safety system was showing clear signs of strain.  This wasn't a surprise to aviation experts.  They said the FAA needs better staffing, equipment, and technology.

   Trump's comments sparked a lot of controversy.  This was a time when the country was already in a lot of pain.  The plane crash was the first major disaster of Trump's new term.  Trump's comments were met with criticism.  They were seen as divisive and speculative.  Buttigieg responded in a post on X, calling Trump’s comments “despicable. "  He said "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. "

Political Pointing at Plane Tragedy

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