Donald Trump’s administration—including Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy—rushed up to the podium to flatter the president after he used a press conference on the deadly D.C. plane crash to blame diversity hires.
In his first press conference in the White House briefing room since returning to office, Trump invited his newly sworn-in Cabinet members up to the podium to address the crash Wednesday that killed three military members on a Black Hawk helicopter and 64 people aboard an American Airlines flight.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who was two days into the job, looked over to Trump during his speech and gushed that the president made their “jobs a lot easier.”
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“When we deal with safety, we can only accept the best and the brightest in positions of safety that impact the lives of our loved ones,” Duffy said. “And I think you made a really important point on that Mr. President. That is the motto of your presidency-- the best and the brightest.”
During Trump’s speech, he claimed that the FAA “is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website.”
Pete Hegseth, the nation’s new defense secretary, also praised Trump in his address after the fatal crash.
“Tragically last night, a mistake was made. And I think the president is right,” Hegseth said. “I want to echo what the transportation secretary and you Mr. President said, because it pertains to the [Department of Defense] as well. We will have the best and brightest in every position possible.”
He then looked over to Trump and thanked him for his “leadership and courage, sir.”
Next up in Trump’s line of henchmen was Vice President JD Vance, who expressed a similar sentiment.
“Thank you Mr. President for your leadership,” Vance said. “You have many hundreds of people suing the government because they would like to be air traffic controllers but were turned away by the color of their skin. That policy ends under Donald Trump’s leadership because safety is the first priority.”
The three men all looked over to Trump frequently during their speeches.
The plane crash occurred minutes before 9 p.m. last night as the American Airlines flight was making its descent to Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. Officials said that no survivors were found and that the mission was now focused on recovering bodies.
On Truth Social Wednesday night, Trump said that the crash “should have been prevented.”
“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” Trump wrote. “Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
