President Donald Trump addressed the nation just hours after a midair collision involving a commercial jet and army helicopter near Washington D.C.

Jack Aylmer Anchor

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Trump on plane crash: White House has ‘strong opinions’ on what caused it

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Jack Aylmer Anchor

By Jack Aylmer (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

President Donald Trump addressed the nation just hours after a midair collision involving a commercial jet and army helicopter near Washington, D.C. It’s considered a recovery operation with Trump confirming there are no survivors.

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“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history,” Trump said after holding a moment of silence for the victims.

Both aircraft crashed around 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, into the Potomac River near Reagan Airport.

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Who was aboard the plane and helicopter?

Some of the 64 people aboard the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, were figure skaters attending a national skating championship.

The Kremlin confirmed Russian figure skaters were also on board.

The three soldiers aboard the helicopter were on an annual flight training.

What is President Trump saying about the cause?

While an official cause of the crash has not yet been announced, President Trump said the White House has “strong opinions” of how it may have happened, alluding to the helicopter pilot being at fault.

“The helicopter had vision of the plane, and for some reason, there weren’t any adjustments made,” Trump said. “The people in the helicopter should have been able to see.”

Trump also noted that the two aircraft should have been at different heights. Officials said that initial information indicated that nothing was unusual about the moments leading up to the crash.

At the press conference, President Trump also placed blame on previous Democratic administrations.

“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system,” Trump said. “I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary.”

Why did President Trump mention DEI?

President Trump also appeared to blame a “diversity push” at the FAA for the midair collision, reading some news headlines.

“I do want to point out that various articles that appeared prior to my entering office. And here’s one: the FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities,” Trump said.

When he was asked to clarify why he thought a diversity push played a role, he said, “It just could have been. We have a high standard. We’ve had a higher, much higher standard than anybody else.”

Trump did not cite any evidence.

He also placed blame on the Biden administration’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, using an expletive to describe Buttigieg’s time in office.

“He’s a disaster now. He’s just got a good line of bulls—,” Trump said of Buttigieg. “Well, he runs it, 45,000 people, and he’s run it right into the ground with his diversity.”

What is Trump’s transportation secretary saying?

Trump’s pick for transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, who just started the job, also spoke during the press conference.

“When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination — that didn’t happen yesterday,” Duffy said. “That’s not acceptable, and so we will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck.”

Is it safe to fly?

President Trump said while the investigation into the crash is ongoing, people should not be hesitant to fly and added the United States has the safest air travel in the world.

Tags: Airport, Crash, Donald Trump, helicopter crash, National Transportation Safety Board, Pete Buttigieg, plane crash, Public Transportation

[Jack Aylmer]

PRESIDENT TRUMP ADDRESSED THE NATION … JUST HOURS AFTER A MIDAIR COLLISION INVOLVING A COMMERCIAL JET AND ARMY HELICOPTER NEAR WASHINGTON D-C.

IT’S NOW CONSIDERED A RECOVERY OPERATION WITH TRUMP CONFIRMING THERE ARE NO SURVIVORS.

[Donald Trump]

“This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history”

[Jack Aylmer]

BOTH AIRCRAFTS CRASHED AROUND 9 P-M WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THE POTOMAC RIVER NEAR REAGAN NATIONAL.

SOME OF THE 64 PEOPLE ABOARD THE PLANE, DEPARTING FROM WICHITA, KANSAS WERE FIGURE SKATERS ATTENDING A NATIONAL SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

THE KREMLIN CONFIRMED RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATERS WERE ALSO ON BOARD.

THE THREE SOLDIERS ON BOARD THE HELICOPTER WERE ON AN ANNUAL FLIGHT TRAINING.

WHILE OFFICIALS HAVEN’T ANNOUNCED AN OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE CRASH …

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THE WHITE HOUSE HAS “STRONG OPINIONS” OF HOW IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED … ALLUDING TO EITHER THE HELICOPTER PILOT OR THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER BEING AT FAULT.

[Donald Trump]

They should have seen where they were going.

[Jack Aylmer]

OFFICIALS SAID THAT INITIAL INFORMATION INDICATED THAT NOTHING WAS UNUSUAL ABOUT THE MOMENTS LEADING UP TO THE CRASH.

AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO PLACED BLAME ON PREVIOUS DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS.

[Donald Trump]

“We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system. I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary. “You remember that. Only the highest aptitude. They have to be the highest intellect and psychologically superior people were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers. That was not so prior to getting there.”

[Jack Aylmer]

PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO APPEARED TO BLAME A “DIVERSITY PUSH” AT THE F-A-A FOR THE MID-AIR COLLISION READING HEADLINES.

[Donald Trump]

“I do want to point out that various articles that appeared prior to my entering office. And here’s one, the FAA’s diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities,” Trump said.

[Jack Aylmer]

WHEN HE WAS ASKED TO CLARIFY WHY HE THOUGHT A DIVERSITY PUSH PLAYED A ROLE, HE SAID IT JUST “COULD” HAVE BEEN AT THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS MUCH HIGHER STANDARD THAN ANYONE ELSE.

TRUMP DID NOT CITE ANY EVIDENCE.

HE ALSO PLACED BLAME ON PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGEIG… USING AN EXPLETIVE TO DESCRIBE BUTTIGEIG’S TIME IN OFFICE.

[Donald Trump]

“He’s a disaster now. He’s just got a good line of bulls—,” Trump said of Buttigieg. “Well he runs it, 45,000 people, and he’s run it right into the ground with his diversity.”

[Jack Aylmer]

TRUMP’S PICK FOR TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY – WHO JUST STARTED THE JOB – ALSO SPOKE DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

[Jack Duffy]

“When Americans take off in airplanes, they should expect to land at their destination – that didn’t happen yesterday,” Duffy said. “That’s not acceptable, and so we will not accept excuses. We will not accept passing the buck.”

[Jack Aylmer]

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS WHILE THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE CRASH IS ONGOING – PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HESITANT TO FLY ADDING THE UNITED STATES HAS THE SAFEST AIR TRAVEL IN THE WORLD.

FOR SAN I’M JACK AYLMER.

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