NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum to end diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in the aviation sector and to assess aviation safety, as well as an executive order to appoint a new head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Trump’s new executive actions come in the wake of a deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night between a passenger plane and a military helicopter.
Trump earlier on Thursday during a press briefing appeared to blame DEI for weakening the FAA. Later, in the Oval Office after signing the actions, he said he wasn’t sure if race or gender played a role in the collision near National Airport but added that “incompetence might have played a role.”
The memorandum on DEI orders for newly minted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the newly appointed acting FAA administrator, Christopher Rocheleau, to ensure they undo practices that may have been in place during the Biden administration around hiring.
“In other words, competence,” Trump said, stressing that competence will be promoted over DEI initiatives in the aviation sector with his latest action.
When asked whether DEI practices actually played a role in the crash the night prior, he replied, “it may have, I don’t know.”
He added, “We want the most competent people, no matter what race they are. … If they don’t have a great brain, a great power of the brain, they’re not going to be very good at what they do.”
The president said he was not aware of any performance issues with those working the air traffic control tower during the collision. When he was pressed on why he’s bringing up DEI when he’s not sure that was the cause of the collision, the president insisted that air traffic controllers have to be “brilliant.”
“I don’t like that the helicopter was at the exact same level as the airplane,” he said, referring to the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with the American Airlines jet.
The president said he will meet with some of the family members of the victims and said the names of the victims of the crash would be released “at the appropriate time.” He said the victims included young people as well as figure skaters from multiple countries.
Rocheleau takes the helm of the FAA after former Administrator Michael Whitaker resigned on Trump’s Inauguration Day. He served for just more than a year in the Biden administration in the Senate-confirmed position that typically spans a five-year term.
