Following the fatal midair crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane, Wednesday night, President Donald Trump is intent on increasing staffing at air safety agencies, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing.
"That's why he signed a very strong executive order on his second day in office, immediately terminating DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] hiring practices at the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration]," Leavitt said. "Following the tragic crash ... in the Oval Office yesterday he signed a memorandum, directing an immediate assessment of the FAA to ensure the federal government is maintaining the highest personnel and aviation safety standards."
Leavitt said an investigation is ongoing into whether the air traffic controller was a DEI hire. Leavitt said Trump is focused on increasing standards at the FAA, hiring people based on merit, rather than race.
"We certainly have seen the deterioration of federal hiring standards at the Federal Aviation Administration," Leavitt said. "The president wants to increase those standards.
"He wants pilots in this country, who have the great responsibility of flying American citizens by the tens of millions every single day, to be chosen for that position based on their merit and their skills. The administration will continue to prioritize this."
Leavitt also said Trump believes commercial flying is safe and he wants Americans to feel safe in the air.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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