National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy stunned the press with her unexpected response to Donald Trump’s fiery claims about the deadly D.C. crash. Reporters pushed her multiple times on whether Trump had jumped the gun by blaming the tragedy on “DEI” and past administrations. Her reply left them speechless.
Press conference showdown
Homendy faced reporters Thursday at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. They grilled her about Trump’s controversial remarks made just hours earlier at the White House.
Her response was sharp. “With all due respect, I think the press also likes to state what probable cause is before we get to the probable cause,” she shot back. “You need to give us time.”
Trump’s explosive speech
Just 10 days into his new term, Trump stood at the White House podium that morning. The nation was reeling from the horrific collision between an American Airlines commuter jet and a Black Hawk helicopter.
Sixty-seven people lost their lives. The plane, arriving from Wichita, Kansas, carried 60 passengers and four crew members. The helicopter had three on board.
Trump began his address with a moment of silence. But then, the gloves came off.
Blame game begins
Trump pointed fingers fast. He claimed he had reversed Obama-era standards to ensure only the best and brightest became air traffic controllers.
“I changed the Obama standards from mediocre to extraordinary,” he declared. “Only the highest intellect and psychological superiority were allowed under me. That was not so before.”
Then he attacked Biden. “When I left office, Biden took over and lowered them more than ever before. I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put politics first.”
Diversity under Fire
Trump didn’t stop there. He accused the FAA’s diversity push of hiring “people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.”
“We need the smartest people,” he insisted. “It doesn’t matter what they look like or who they are. They have to be naturally talented. Geniuses. We can’t have regular people doing this job.”
He directly called out DEI—diversity, equity, and inclusion. He mocked the FAA’s website for calling diversity “integral” to aviation safety.
“I don’t think so,” Trump snapped. “I think it’s just the opposite.”
Taking aim at Buttigieg
Then came the attack on Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“That guy’s a real winner,” Trump said sarcastically. “He’s a disaster.”
“He’s got a good line of bulls***,” the president added. “And he’s run the FAA straight into the ground with his diversity.”
Homendy’s history with Trump
The irony? Trump had nominated Homendy twice. First in 2018 to fill a short-term NTSB board position. Then again that December for a full five-year term.
But in 2021, Biden made her chair. Now, she was the one shutting down Trump’s fiery claims.
The crash investigation continues. But one thing is clear—Trump’s accusations and Homendy’s bold response have set Washington on fire.
