President Donald Trump began his White House briefing Thursday with a moment of silence and a prayer for victims of Wednesday's crash at Reagan National Airport. But his remarks quickly became a diatribe against diversity hiring and his allegation — so far without evidence — that lowered standards were to blame for the

President Donald Trump blamed diversity hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration for Wednesday night’s deadly midair collision in Washington, D.C. — days after his new administration banned diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government, including at the FAA.

The president implied that the crash was caused by the FAA's recruitment of people with "severe intellectual disabilities" and "psychiatric problems."

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors expected amid the extremely cold and windy conditions.

But within minutes, the “presidential” mirage dissolved. Trump unleashed an unusually appallingly rant, blaming the crash on Barack Obama, Joe Biden, former Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, DEI and people with disabilities.

President Trump blamed diversity, equity and inclusion programs and the last two Democratic presidents for the crash—without citing evidence to support his assertions. “Brilliant people have to be in those positions,