Following the midair collision near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on January 29, as emergency responders worked to recover the remains of passengers and crew members, social media users, many of whom are critics of President Donald Trump, began pointing fingers at some of Trump’s policies as potential contributors to the crash.
One post mentioned how Trump had recently fired the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard, as well as disbanded the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. Another post highlighted a list of actions Trump had taken in his first few days in office, including personnel changes and a freeze on hiring air traffic controllers.
Aviation experts, however, stated that these policy changes were unlikely to have had an immediate impact on the crash, as the time frame was too short for them to take effect. Jim Cardoso, a former US Air Force colonel and pilot, emphasized that the accident involved well-established air traffic control processes that would not have been affected by recent policy changes.
John Cox, a retired pilot, cautioned against speculating on the causes of the crash so soon after it occurred, stressing the importance of sticking to the facts during investigations. He also mentioned that international standards prioritize getting to the right answer over politically motivated explanations.
Trump’s executive orders related to aviation, including a hiring freeze and a directive on returning to merit-based hiring, were discussed. The order exempted air traffic control from the hiring freeze due to its critical role in public safety. Trump also blamed FAA diversity and inclusion policies for the crash, but experts argued that adherence to these rules would not have affected the qualifications of the pilots and air traffic controllers involved in the accident.
Reports about understaffing at the air traffic control tower and the firing of TSA and Coast Guard heads were also mentioned, with clarifications that these actions were not directly related to the operation of planes or aviation safety.
Overall, experts emphasized the need for thorough investigations into the crash and cautioned against making premature judgments. The investigation into the collision is expected to take months before any definitive conclusions can be reached.
What did Trump do regarding aviation?
Trump’s executive orders, personnel changes, and statements related to aviation safety were scrutinized, with experts providing context and analysis on their potential impact on the crash.
PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
