Last night, we saw the first fatal crash of a US airliner since 2009, as a military helicopter collided with an American Eagle jet that was on final approach to Washington National Airport (DCA). This horrible tragedy claimed 67 lives, and an investigation is being performed into what happened.
Continue reading: Trump Blames Plane Crash On DEI, Because He Has “Common Sense”
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Federal DEI programs are not used in Air Traffic Control hiring process. Every single hire has to go through the same exact rigorous testing, which included mental and physical components. This is the one millionth example that 47 is an ignorant piece of sh!t assh0le
Trump is being Trump here, no surprise.
It's not like he promised one thing then pardoned Barron as a parting gift.
I said it to friends just yesterday:
"We don't know anything about this crash yet, but you can hold your breath until some mofo in government comes forward to blame 'D.E.I.' for all of this."
And what'dya know, the biggest mofo of them all, is the one to step up to the plate.
Surprise!
I just had to laugh listening to Trump talk about what is abnormal for ATC. As if he has a clue (like he is clueless on many things). You could honestly read the occasional article on this blog every couple weeks where some ATC audio is linked and just by listening to that for a couple months you would already have an infinitely better understanding and awareness of how ATC works and what is and isn't normal. I bet you phrases like "follow behind XYZ aircraft" and "maintain visual separation" are literally used tens of thousands of times a day across the country by ATC. How does he serve anybody by speaking out such nonsense? He would do everybody a favor by just staying quiet.
And a lot of people don't get DEI either and why sometimes it does share partial blame.
Yes you need to score 80% to pass.
But rather than hiring the person with 98% you hire the 80.5% because of DEI.
Now both are equally qualified, but that doesn't mean one is not better.
Just before this he had Vance, Hegsmith, and some other guy come up and talk about what a great leader Trump is during this investigation. They were just about to kneel down and unzip his pants when the cut to commercial.
"When someone automatically blames DEI for something, without an investigation having been performed, the intent is obvious — only women and minorities, and not white men, make mistakes."
Please do not expose your own hatred of 47 so plainly. This statement is so skewed that it does not require any repudation. We all know what DJT's point is here and the delivery was ugly but the message is true
This. Somehow every article defending DEI initiatives and trying to absolve them of any blame cant seem to comprehend this basic fact. Nobody is saying that (for example) DEI pilot hires at UA are not qualified- they'll need to pass final certification tests like any other pilot hire. But when artificially increase diversity by lowering standards, you're bound to hire a large number of people that just pass the minimum qualifications, while losing out on those that may be more qualified.
Could you imagine if GWB thanked 9/11 so he can do what HW couldn't.
Finish off Saddam.
How else could a lame excuse like phantom WMD be used as a valid reason without blaming Saddam for supporting Al Qaeda.
While ATC still receives rigorous training and has to past tests, regardless of how they were accepted into programs, it's important to note that during the Obama administration, the FAA changed its hiring process for ATCs to favor applicants based on race and gender to increase the number of women and minorities in air traffic control towers. While not the reason for the crash, the does give Trump some justifiable talking points.
Further, regarding "only women and minorities, and not white men, make mistakes" I would argue that the right's position is only special pathways or lowering of the bar for hiring happens for women and minorities, and not white men. The pendulum swung from not hiring because of race/gender all the way to hiring based on race/gender. Can we ever reach a medium?
Can we ever reach a medium?
Stop involving race and gender at any point in the recruitment process.
We all know what DJT's point is here
That is true and exactly why Trump rose to fame in 2016. He speaks plain truths that 70% of Americans legitimately think but do not say
"only women and minorities, and not white men, make mistakes."
College admissions doesn't favor white men without DEI.
So DEI isn't all about going after white men.
So you're saying the message that DEI is to blame is true?
DJT literally assigned blame without any fact-based evidence.
Maybe DJT will be proven right (if the subsequent report is solely fact-based) but based on the facts known right now, it's unlikely, and so his comments are totally unnecessary and not in the least helpful given this tragedy.
And what kind of human being are you to call another trash? I think it makes you rude at a minimum.
Trump won the US Presidential Elections an unprecedented 3 times in a row.
He has more than common sense.
This is what happens when you put a convicted rapist and thief in charge of your country.
Exactly. DEI is rampant, like how "some association with Fox news" is the passing mark for department secretary these days.
Trump supporters grasping at straws to hide their lack of intelligence. Hate to see it.
Given the open admission of low standards at the FAA from the highest levels of Government, will some foreign countries impose sanctions against US based airlines on safety grounds?
I dont get why anyone is surprised that Trump is making something political, after everything the media and government threw at him the past 6 years you have to expect this. He won the election and is doing exactly what he said he was going to do. While i dont agree with him on much i respect the fact he is not like every other politician (both left and right) who says one thing and does another.
Can we stop saying "DEI" and saying what it really means, "women and minorities," instead?
Trump blamed women and minorities for a plane crash, full stop. If only white men were air traffic controllers, in his view, this clearly wouldn't have happened. Now, this might have been a popular view at a Klan rally in 1950, but it's 2025 and to me, this sounds as bonkers as it is. The emperor has no clothes.
Sure if those countries want to embarrass themselves. "Low" standards in the US are still extremely high by the rest of the world.
Kinda like how low income in Manhattan, NY (e.g. $500k) is high income for Manhattan, KS.
Maybe you should go to their own website and see what they're admitting in their own hiring.
This position serves as an air traffic trainee for potential conversion in the air traffic control 2152 occuption
Who all can apply?
This is a public announcement to apply to a FAA position open to persons with disabilities(PWD) and persons with Targeted Disabilities(PWTD)
Targeted Disabilities or Serious Health Conditions include
02 - Developmental Disability
19 - Deaf
20 - Blind
90 - Intellectual Disability
91 - Significant Psychiatric Disorder for ex, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD or major depression.
13 - Speech impairment.
"It’s wrong to politicize a tragedy, and in something as complicated as an aviation disaster"
but you couldn't help yourself.
his comments were certainly not helpful and do nothing to get to the root of the issue but neither does doing what you said just a couple hours that your users shouldn't do.
it's going to be a long few years.
btw, you do realize that a Republican carried Miami-Dade County for the first time in, like, decades?
Which of your millions of neighbors are you angry at for not seeing the world the way you do?
oh, and the FAA says DCA tower was understaffed... as if that hasn't happened on a consistent basis for years.
It isn't Congress that trains controllers. It is the FAA. Congress already provided the funding - which runs through Trump's entire presidency.
Nothing like calling 1/2 the nation racist.
Biggest racist is you.
You're calling someone racist because they voted for him.
@Debo not at the moment. But also *completely* useless point as many current ATCs were hired at times when it was part of the recruitment process.
Good job
An organization is only as strong as its weakest members. Any government agency on which my tax dollars are being spent should do nothing but focus on the best and brightest and not waste one second thinking about the background of an applicant. There is a chance that the keyboard warriors are getting ahead of what POTUS already knows. (He would have significantly more information than any of us) But boy the vitriol is hilarious. You don't have to like him, just go ahead a like the results if they come. Never blind yourself to the good one does. I know his first time around made me a ton of cash.
I read this post four times and I still can't figure out how to book a seat in First to Vancouver.
Stop the trolling intentional political BS just to get clicks and comments. You're a part of the problem.
Decency is a weakness now. Dems are weak and MAGA has transformed the US into autocracy backed by oligarchy.
They have all branches of govt and good for them, they are responsible for it all. The average public will only realize what they have created when it’s too late. I already have European colleagues saying that they prefer not to meet here. This anger, hatred, and blind tribalism doesn’t lead us to anywhere… while other countries are developing and advancing we are busy here keeping up with his chief troll on twitter. Both Dems and Republicans were wrong but it’s the country that has lost.
So, simply pointing out that fact finding should be utilized before anyone jumps to a conclusion and broadcasts a currently unsupported conclusion, is politicizing?
It seems like you somehow feel attacked here, when all he did was point out that the president is using this tragedy to make a statement that DEI is bad without a complete investigation.
He's not saying any person, politician, political party, or policy is responsible for this at all.
Love him, at times like these, that's why we need a man like Trump to fight for us on the front lines.
What a selfless man to give his time and thoughts for the people impacted by this, I think this is the character that attracted successful people like Musk to want to be around him, because he just "gets sht done!"
I can guarantee you that with him now at the helm, the US will never have a plane crash again.
lol….i mean your not wrong…it’s like imagine if your grocery store clerk asked you at check out if you knew what was going on in Gaza?
"...many current ATCs were hired at times when it was part of the recruitment process."
Please cite your source. As always, a tweet from a Fox "News" host will suffice as proof.
I don't feel attacked in the least.
I would just as soon keep it ALL out of the discussion.
It wasn't appropriate and is unnecessary and unhelpful on the day after such a tragedy.
The hypocrisy is that Ben JUST asked his readers to leave politics aside and then proceeded to do what he asked his readers not to do.
And, yes, for some it will be a long 4 years, just as the previous 4 years were long for others.
Miami-Dade County voted Republican for the first time in decades and following DeSantis' landslide victory. that's a fact.
Political landscapes change.
Florida is not what it used to be... even in S. Florida.
Democracy is great until not everyone can get their way.
Is he wrong? DCA ATC post pictures with women and POC all the time. Were they all hired based on merit? Well, ATC themselves said they weren't, so ...
... I'm sorry if facts offend you, but there's no need for censorship of this comment if you value truth.
Allocating certain positions to a smaller portion of a talent pool instead of the entire talent pool at large inherently leads to lower standards. Again, this doesn't mean that DEI hires are unqualified, as they almost always are qualified, rather, there is a higher relative probability that a DEI hire will be of a lower "quality" than a non DEI hire recruited strictly based on merit.
you do realize that there are people that said the same thing for the four years that ended at 11.59 a.m on Jan 20, 2025?
this is life in a democracy.
Russia and Iran accept requests for citizenship if you like that type of government better.
Wow, apparently DCA ATC was shorthanded last night and forced to resort to having the same ATC cover planes and helicopters, which are usually separate assignments.
Grim finding after Trump offered the buyout/severance package for any ATC who quick earlier this week, and after conservatives tried to blame women and people of color.
While not surprising given how utterly repugnant DJT and his politics are what is truly disgusting is the way he and his political party have turned DEI into a bogeyman and have created a culture where every person who is a minority or woman is immediately viewed as somehow an illegitimate or unqualified to be in whatever position they are in. Truly sad, truly un-American.
So you’re saying because the ATC controllers are women and people of color they are somehow automatically unqualified?
Or you could start your own blog. This is lucky’s, he’s free to blog about whatever he wants to. You’re free to go elsewhere.
DEI created that culture, not DJT. And it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Between Obama’s racist ATC hiring scheme, to United’s racist pilot training selection, your “bogeyman” will be hanging around for years to come.
This has been disproven multiple times (including in multiple state, county, and district recounts including those sponsored by Republicans). Put down the kool aid and lower your arm.
There is not a court case or legitimate investigation that would back that up. You are delusional.
Seems that every single person mentioned deserves compensation from Trump for these slanderous statements. How disgusting to reduce life to these kinds of unfeeling statements
No matter what you say about President Trump, he speaks his mind and does not hold back. At a time when American men and especially older white men are otherwise bullied, mocked and told to stay quiet.
The true reason is not DEI but because they made the ghost of George Washington angry by taking his name off the airport and putting Reagan's name on it. If Reagan needed an airport named after him, LAX and ONT would have been fine, not DCA.
@Tim Dunn - You are better off speaking ONLY on Delta. At least you come across as less stupid.
@Ben - Sorry, this post violates your new guidelines but I can’t bear anyone that supports a convicted rapist. Disagreement on policies are one thing, but character is completely different.
Love the sarcasm.
This one happened under Trump's 20/20 vision, how did he not see this coming?
There is a difference between "speaking ones mind" and "not holding back" and spouting harmful nonsense. The schizophrenic guy on the street corner outside my window also speaks his mind and does not hold back. Unlike you, me, or even Ben, the president has a unique position of power and authority in this country. His failure to take it seriously - and to understand that his words have the potential to harm many - is disgusting. Quit with your perceived victimhood - no one is silencing you.
The United States is a racist nation. Study our history from slavery to Jim Crow to people like you
Really? DEI created that culture? Not right-wing media capitalizing on a perceived sense of white victimhood - wholly unsupported by any data whatsoever, merely anecdotes - and blaming DEI for all our country's ills because - heaven forbid - the most qualified candidate for a job also happens to be a woman or POC? Turn off Fox News for a day, you might actually learn something.
Saddam caused his own death. He tried to pretend he had nuclear weapons when the only WMD he had was poison gas, which was taken away from him after the first war.
The fact of modern life. You talk to people in the language they understand. If Trump wants respect he should start by giving it to others. Until then he is…Ben’s guidelines won’t let me write it.
He's exactly like everyone else in Washington, he's pro-self. He's like a Seinfeld episode, he got reelected for spite. And everyone else back there is just as corrupt
But if the standard is "you must attain X to be qualified" are we really lowering the standard if both people clear that bar? No.
It is obviously Biden's fault, they set up the "bomb" in an attempt to demonstrate how imcompetent Trump is, now the joke is on the Dem's face since that Trump has handled the situation like the brave powerful big man that he is. Love the guy!
70% of Americans in 1955 thought segregation was a good idea. Just because a majority of people think it, does not actually make it virtuous. Though something tells me based on your other posts you'd rather be living in 1955...
It's Lucky's blog - he can write about whatever he wants, and you're free to visit other sites if you don't like the content. Ain't America great?
Washington has the capital and a state named after him. Way more important than being named after one of three airports serving that area.
Trump could just have said nothing but offering his condolences, promising an exhaustive investigation, maybe paying a quick visit to the area, anything a normal leader would doz but no. Of course people are going to push back against the stupid things he says. He shouldn't have brought politics into it at all, but he can't help himself. I don't disagree with everything he says and does just because he's Donald Trump, but let's face it - whenever he's put on the spot it's immediately evident that he's both profoundly emotionally retarded, and not very smart.
Excellent post, Ben. Thank you. And this is a good example on why we have the NTSB and why these investigations take a lot of time. We can arm chair quarterback this until the cows come home, but in the end the true probable cause of this tragedy could very well be something we least expect.
Older white men who control media, politics, commerce and the judiciary are bullied and discriminated against? Please explain to me as a JD, LLM, MBA retired military officer how that's possible.
obviously, we can define character any way we want and include or exclude what we think matters.
Character IS a factor that goes into voter decisions and they chose Biden 4 years ago and Trump now.
Accept that we live in a politically charged environment and the best way to overcome that reality is not to throw more gasoline onto the fire. Ben's suggestion this morning was brilliant. After watching the President's news conference, Ben's own advice and self-control went out the window.
this would be a good time to mention that there is a considerable rightward shift in global democracies over the past couple years. There is ample evidence of what is driving it but characters like Trump are not unique to the US and people in other cultures have made similar decisions.
instead of attacking other people, learn why these kinds of decisions by voters are being made - a clear response to what previously existed and what voters believe didn't work
FDR won 4 times in a row, and during his third term he'd won 3x, so there's certainly precedent, even though what you say is wrong.
it's pretty clear where the causes lay. It was somewhere in the US government and not aboard the commercial jet that suffered the greatest loss.
The NTSB will get to the bottom of what went wrong but the question is whether there will be the political will to change what doesn't work whether that be staffing or VFR military and IFR civilian operations side by side in such tight proximity.
It really isn't too hard to figure out what went wrong and what has been wrong for years - long before Jan 20, 2025 - which is why politicizing the event is completely unacceptable, regardless of how does it.
Keep in mind when you criticize Trump all you want, that the majority of people in this country voted for him, me too. Tough luck!
As T. Greg Doucette wrote on Bluesky
➡️ January 20: FAA director fired
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
Making America Great Again!
https://bsky.app/profile/gregdoucette.bsky.social/post/3lgxstrm6js2z
Yeah good point, Sean. Last year we've seen so many near misses; this was waiting to happen. You also now have a Fox News host as a transportation secretary and a rudderless FAA. Could totally see that coming.
When is the last time you saw a buncha black dudes with white hoods on lynching somebody for being white?
Snowflake
Just when I think he cannot sink any lower....he does. He is so unfit, such a complete moron...WOW !
Jerry, a little thing called the 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, prevents Trump from being in office for more than two terms like FDR did.
You do see the irony in espousing refraining from "attacking other people" while supporting Mango Mussolini....right? Tell me you do
You are correct on one thing.... "There is ample evidence of what is driving [the right-ward shift]".... lack of education and critical thinking skille
Yeah, i think this blog's about aviation? And the worst aviation accident in decades just happened? Seems relevant.
Never mind it all happened days after a new president started sacking people in FAA left and right (and making it clear he had a ways to go). You don't have to be that smart to see the connection.
you know Tim, I always thought it a bit unfair that others on this blog attacked you so often.
I have changed my mind.
Seriously ???
lol you could say that about anything though no? Start your own grocery store, start your own movie production company. Dave/you/me we are entitled our own opinions no? Dave is allowed to express his discontent with the topic. You’re allowed to express your discontent with Dave. I am allowed to express how happy I am Lucky stills allows comments.
Just because he lied, doesn’t mean he didn’t say it:
"The FAA diversity push includes focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing," Trump said, claiming the FAA wanted people "with severe disabilities, the most underrepresented segment of the workforce, and they want them in and they want them - they can be air traffic controllers."
Asked how he could blame diversity, equity and inclusion hiring for the crash, Trump said, "because I have common sense.”
My finger is tired from clicking this damn "Report" button!
I gagged when I opened the blog and saw the orange turd face right there, ew. But I think no one is surprised he is already politicizing a tragedy - and as usual, speaking with the vocabulary and the grammar of a 9 years old. I can't believe we are not even 2 weeks in and this is already where we are, this is going to be a long 4 years.
He didn't receive a majority of the voters. More people voted for someone else.
The FAA states on its website how individuals with 'severe' mental and physical disabilities represent an under-represented segment of the federal workforce. It has nothing to do with it just like the 51 spy that said pardoned Hunter's laptop is Russian disinformation. Wokeness is spilling over.
And because of this precedent, there is now a 22nd amendment for the constitution, which came after FDR. In case there would be a 3rd term now, you'd need to get this amendment changed.
Look as someone in the middle your missing the point. DEI can (doesn’t always) prevent the most qualified candidate from being hired. This is supported by data/hiring practices. Two candidates A is more qualified than B. B is still qualified but A is a better overall candidate. So you hired B because they have a more diverse background. Why do you think that’s okay.
Just absolutely outrageous! And then to malign the former Transportation Secretary? This was the President of the United States making these statements.
I guess you do not remember that Joe Biden blamed President Trump every time he opened his mouth about anything as did Comma LA!!!I am sure DEI nonsense did not help with any of this.
He never introduced the term. He referred to lax standards, and biased legacy media reps latched onto “DEI”.
Work on your listening skills!
whether you like it or not, Trump received the MOST popular votes in the 2024 election - which was different than in the 2016 election.
The US does not require a majority of popular votes or even to win the MOST popular votes but surely you know that he received over 57% of the electoral college votes - which is how the US determines presidential winners.
again, more Americans voted for Trump than anyone else. There will be people that struggle with that reality for the next 4 years.
Not a Trump fan, but Abraham Lincoln got less than 40% of the 1860 vote. Trump got a clear plurality of the popular vote, and more importantly, a majority of the Electoral College. We have to deal with it in as contructive a way as possible.
"as many current ATCs were hired at times when it was part of the recruitment process."
Wait, hold on. When was DEI ever part of the ATC hiring process. Because ATC is exempt from general guidelines. So please, tell us.
you do realize that the Dem's fate was sealed the night that Trump debated Biden who was a mumbling hot mess?
Kamala finally got her chance but she clearly was unable to convince the electorate and the Dems are still trying to figure out how to move forward.
People can wrestle with the results of democracies but there were warning lights going off on the other side of the aisle for months.
regardless of the "system" where those warning lights are happening, those that ignore warning lights do so at their own peril.
that was true with the Democratic party and was and still is true at DCA.
as with every other topic, debate the facts and tell me where I am wrong.
I don't care if you like me. I do expect you to be rational if you expect to win a debate with me.
very soon it will be proven that trump was correct - that liberal dei/political hiring practices contributed to this accident - what he says may hurt your feelings but - trump is almost always right - sorry - not sorry
As an outsider reding these comments (Ona preventable tragedy), it *is* really fun seeing the US slowly fall apart
Absolutely. I want to speak truth so badly (preferably on your face) but this blog’s guidelines prevent me from doing that.
because it is where Ben lives and where he is clearly a political minority based on the last election results.
Hi Roman,
Take a look and do the math. There's enough sin to go around for everyone.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls
@ Charles, this argument always assumes that white people are inherently more qualified than someone with a “diverse background.” This is not college admissions we’re talking about. Organisations can look at job candidates with a set of criteria that they define—and it’s perfectly legal for them to look at race, gender, and less quantifiable dimensions (e.g., behavioural fit). If candidate A in your scenario is more qualified (by your definition), maybe they get passed over for the job not because they are white, but because in the interview process it’s revealed they’re a massive asshole.
I don't know how the cases will turn out, but there are multiple lawsuits against the government alleging that as many as 1000 qualified ATC applicants (pased the screenings procedures and test) were turned away because they did not advance the government's goals for hiring under-represented and disadvantaged groups....despite the ATC staffing shortage.
I hope the allegations are false.
This guy is the lowest common denominator. A racist. A narcissist. A criminal, and above all, a complete fool.
Oh where did I say this? Can you point to the sentence that said this?
Do a full quote, please. Really interested in this, thank you.
To the rich people in this thread:
What's more important - and you can only choose one:
- Hiring ATC for skills, no regard to gender, race or identity du jour?
- Gender identity, race, feelings?
Which is more important. Remember, #1 is a Republican statement.
And Kamala in the next debate, made trump look like what he is - a senile, functionally illiterate buffoon who is the very poster boy for white men failing upwards.
There is no such thing as a good republican. They all need arrested and given lethal injection. In my view worse than any terrorist alive.
A horrendous preview of the next four years.. when someone as idiotic as Trump relentlessly obliterates critical federal agencies, we won’t just see planes falling out of the sky but all kinds of other safety issues.
Republicans were just fine relentlessly criticizing Obama and Biden after each of them won the popular vite
Not sure this is the correct interpretation "the intent is obvious — only women and minorities, and not white men, make mistakes."
Anyone including minorities or women should take the jobs they qualify on merit rather than some forced quota that puts them ahead in line with less qualifications otherwise
Wait, isn't trump a dei hire? I mean I remember when felons couldn't get a job or had to start over, but he got top job despite that. Maybe he has a point, maybe Merica does have a dei problem, right at the top.
What is Trump's opinion of the fact that most of the US armed forces have a higher proportion of blacks than the population?
That the army is too keen on DEI?
You seem nice. Let’s double down on the weak, the less fortunate, and those being trolled by the richest billionaire (soon to be trillionnair) and the most powerful president. Double down. Very kind!
Literally though, why don't you go seek citizenship in Mexico? I plan on leaving the United States, I hate this presidency. I think Yemen where I have family is much, much better,
Recommendations for a non political miles and points site? Between this and multiple references to “not surprised” at the most firearms caught at TSA was in FL and TX….
Paraphrasing Michael Jordan “ republicans buy sneakers too”
More Important- Would be you making clear how one involves the other in this situation
For instance.... just because you identify as white trash(read: MAGAt), doesn't mean you aren't qualified for an ATC job.... Ok, I jest. Of course you aren't
Remember... "just make sense".... is a Democrat statement
Somehow people voted for this sh*t show. He has absolutely no knowledge of anything. I feel terrible for women and minorities. Whatever goes wrong, anywhere, it has now become your fault because you know, common sense.
yeah, they did.
Have you asked yourself why they DIDN'T vote for the party that was in charge for the four previous years?
You might want to start with that question
Every day Donald Trump adds something even more incredible to what he has said so far. With this baseless claim he has shown no decency. I wonder what people who voted for him now think.
This is a pretty telling comment. Saying “very soon it will be proven” shows that you understand that he’s saying all this gross, wild stuff with no proof or evidence that these policies contributed to the crash. But you still support this guy, I just don’t get it. Every word out of the POTUS’s mouth has significance on the world stage. Trump is erratic and personally I find it terrifying.
Trump didn't win "in a landslide"--he won by 1.5% of the popular vote which translated into the low 300's in terms of electoral votes. That's a "landslide" to yoU?
Actually, Jd--a "majority" of Americans did NOT vote for Trump in 2024--he got less than 50% of the vote. (Close, but not enough to be a "majority".) You could say he got MORE votes than his opponent--but then again in 2020 he was beat by someone who actually DID get a majority of the votes.
Don't worry we are not falling apart, we are rising from the ashes the last administration brought into us
To everyone who supports Trump's dissolution of DEI in favor of hiring the most most qualified candidate, ask yourself how well he applied that principle to when hiring his own cabinet. Are his choices even barely qualified let alone the most qualified.
No DEI is his way of eliminating individual groups he personally has issues with.
Another meaning of DeI is Donald's Extremist Incompetents:-(
then, ask yourself if the MAJORITY of Americans care if Trump trashed DEI more than whether the price of eggs - or whatever economic issue shaped the election.
the problem is that too many people - perhaps you included - can't understand that what YOU think doesn't matter in a democracy; what matters is what the MAJORITY of people think.
Because you don't think like the majority of people doesn't make the majority wrong - but that is precisely what many many people write here.
Well I think you kind of proved my point lol. How is gender/race relevant in an ATC job. The most qualified candidates should get the job period. In this case it’s not just “my definition”. Given that ATC has a test portion there is a quantifiable portion of the application. Should someone who got the minimum score be considered over someone with a higher score based off gender or race?
Also that’s the real issue with DEI it’s not women can’t do the job. It’s that should someone hire a lesser candidate ( who still meets a minimum standard) vs a better candidate (who doesn’t have a desirable racial/gender. Also it’s not legal anymore in the federal government due to Trump.
Might want to educate yourself on Plurality vs Majority, ol’ Terminally Deranged
@BlackHill, since you declined to provide any details about the job or a link, here you go: a post from April 11, 2019 - which was during Trump's first term - for a "pilot program to help prepare people with disabilities for careers in air traffic operations. A key focus for the FAA’s Office of Civil Rights is to identify specific opportunities for people with targeted disabilities, empower them and facilitate their entry into a more diverse and inclusive workforce.... The candidates in this program will receive the same rigorous consideration in terms of aptitude, medical and security qualifications as those individuals considered for a standard public opening for air traffic controller jobs." Candidates must also meet various criteria, including passing the Air Traffic Skills Assessment Aptitude test, pass a medical review, and have higher education and/or work experience.
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-provides-aviation-careers-people-disabilities
Whine and complain about 47 as much as you want, yet he’s still your President. He’s entitled to his opinions and worldviews, just as you are. You think you know things better? Well, 2028 is right around the corner. Run for office, you armchair CEOs. In the meantime: Enjoy MAGA
That is ridiculous. And if that is the extent of your logic then I hope you find a hobby - like coin collection - that keeps you from posting here
And I say this as a Democrat
Three times in a row? Let's see - he ran in 2000, didn't make it out of the primaries. Won in 2016, lost in 2020, and won in 2024. He can't run in 2028 so (checks notes) that would be won twice, not in a row. Do you have some data that I'm missing?
Or you could just scroll past this article, if it is of so little interest to you. Others who visit the site might find it interesting.
So the President's claim at this early stage is completely correct, and absolutely fine?
And Lucky shouldn't comment on that, despite it being a significant loss of life, and future air travel will be affected by the President's decisions?
Bizarre.
I really wish everybody commenting on this thread would read this article, all the way back from 2015:
https://disciplesofflight.com/faa-hiring-scandal-follow-up/
I am really trying to use my mind and abilities to sort through the noise of modern politics; I don't want to immediately discount any messenger as a liar.
Seriously, read the article all the way, *especially* the part in the second half about the ATC candidate Stephen Brown. It's seems written by a person coming at the subject like any of us - likes aviation, wants to know more about a subject, not grinding any ax or forcing a viewpoint.
In 2013 under the Obama administration, there was a serious push of a "DEI-type" approach to hiring and training new Air Traffic Controllers. People who previously completed dedicated training programs and had passed qualifying exams with stellar records were bypassed because they couldn't pass the FAA's new Biographical Questionnaire, which was deemed to be the most important selection tool. In a time where there was supposedly a great and urgent shortage of needed Air Traffic Controllers, literally thousands of Air Traffic Control pipeline graduates were summarily cut from the hiring pool in hopes that the new Biographical Questionnaire-driven hiring would change a composition of a work force that was deemed unacceptable as it was roughly 85% white males. This approach appears in hindsight to have not been so ideal and it seems the FAA has been moving away from it even prior to the current Trump administration.
Is the president being completely *unreasonable* in definitively blaming DEI initiatives for an airline crash less than 24 hours after it happened? Absolutely yes. On the flipside, is a person blaming DEI initiatives for creating a smaller, less-capable pool of current Air Traffic Controllers being completely *reasonable*? From what I was able to research, I would also say absolutely yes. And with the current accident already being partially attributed to ATC staffing shortages, connecting the dots can get uncomfortable about the role of "DEI" in this incident. But unfortunately in the modern internet era, even though it allows us to research so much more information on any subject faster and easier, we all just gather up like priests around each new Galileo, shouting him down in our pre-determined certitude.
I understand the concept just fine.
The US uses the electoral college and Trump won a majority of those votes based on the underlying votes.
Hard to believe that Trump instituted a hiring freeze for ATCs when they're so short-staffed.
He is a fu*king asshole! I hope people who voted for him are happy about their choice.
What is ironic is that the air traffic controller was white, male, straight, and an Evangelical Christian. Thus, it could not possibly be the air traffic controller.
I've seen DEI blamed for every accident mentioned on this site in the past few years by some commenters. Ben, I'm glad to see you call this activity by our president out forcefully. It restores some faith in this site, despite the continued presence of racist/sexist trolls.
@Scott or you could just scroll past the articles you don't want to read. You won't even have to see the comments.
I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything that says that FAA air traffic controllers don't have to pass the same tests just because they're a minority or female. All it means is that all other things being equal, the preference goes to the underrepresented candidate, which is usually a minority or female.
That bloviating, bombastic orange abomination has a lot of things but common sense? That ain’t among them.
This is the problem of people being brainwashed by the democracy propaganda.
It's doesn't work like the way they wanted you to believe. Land of the nothing is free, home of the expensive eggs.
Trump nor any previous Presidents ever appoint cabinets based on public popularity, purely on nepotism. But that's exactly how the system works.
A lot of Trump's decision will go against the major opinion.
Biden pardoning his son also went against everyone except the Bidens.
Democracy is as strong or as weak as the person you choose to represent you.
One you elect someone, your duty ends there. If you elect a madman it's on you. But it's not you to decide how the madman acts.
In our current state, the only hurdle for becoming President is not running the country but convincing the brainwashed that you're a better choice even if that means you're the 2nd worst not the best.
If you want democracy, live with the bad side of it too.
Fitting since this is a travel blog, because as they say "this isn't an airport, you don't need to announce your departure". In plain speak: F*ck off, no one cares that you're leaving, shut up and go.
Question for Tim Dunn: how do you feel about the fact that DL is standing firm with DEI? I.e. which comes first, kissing Trump's ass or Delta's ass?
The majority of the people in the election didn't even vote for him, let alone the majority of the people in the country.
Of all the ridiculous garbage Agent Orange has sprouted so far, this is probably some of the most absurd, hurtful garbage. His lust for white supremacy seems to permeate everything he does.
How naive of you.
This is at least 4 more golden years for this site. $$$$$
This post had almost 200 comments in 6 hours.
Buy Qatar Avios for 60% bonus, 2 comments in over 2 days.
Business is good. This tragedy boosted engagement tenfold, over 300 comments and countless views in a day. Now if only someone figured a way to get credit card signups from all these situations.
Does DEI make you want to open a new Chase card?
Congrats Ben. You clearly met your clickbait quota with this garbage. No connection with your usual material whatsoever
I think it’s fair to say the patience of your traditional followers is running thin
Yeah, he got the majority of the votes, the popular vote, and of course the electoral vote in the last election. He got more votes than the next candidate. Tough to accept, isn't it?
People dying in an aviation related incident is "garbage", when posted on an Aviation blog?
Did you send the same comment to every other news outlet in the world, accusing them of clickbait?
What a moron.
Trump is the shrewdest politician the world has ever seen. He’s Harvey Specter of the politics world, 15 steps ahead of his peers.
I think we all should pay less taxes, fire more govt employees or even privatize so they can implement more optimization policies (and have not regulations on the private companies that will run air traffic c). Nothing can go wrong.
Defund everything except corporates and billionaires tax breaks.
The staffing of controllers that night was insufficient. Is that because Buttigieg was too busy only hiring gay boys, and people with the Democrat approved skin color the past four years and ATC didn’t have enough qualified people that could do the job? I think so.
Tower didn’t their job last night. They let the copter ram the RJ. RJ never had a chance. Unacceptable.
Anyone with common sense knows we have to wait for the facts before we formulate what caused the crash. Just like with the Jeju crash most couldn't fathom it wasn a bird strike(s) then the revelation about the blackboxes losing power 4 mins prior to the crash shifted theories dramatically + the fact that the bird remains identified being a type that has flocks in the 10,000s it's all moving far away from the initial theories of a failed go around, choosing to land when the plane wasn't configured properly etc etc. Let's wait for the facts, we are smarter than to jump on any bandwagons the administration wants to steer us towards.
Hey, you didn’t give a damn about the price of eggs or anything else the past four years. Why do you care now?
In relevant news to the accident, the NYT is reporting that multiple sources are saying that the helicopter was too high and up to a half mile away from the approved course.
as many of us said hours ago, the issue had nothing to do with DEI and had alot to do with failure to comply with approved procedures in an area where there is no room for error.
How does Scott not understand they can pick and choose what to read and or comment on the site?
If you hate it so bad move to Greenland or somewhere. But you won’t cause in reality you know that Trump is right. This was all about DEI. DEI=DIE
"Helicopter May Have Deviated From Approved Path Before Deadly Crash"
yikes this really makes one wonder what sort of sentiments, exactly, led the president and his supporters to blame women and people of color for the crash?
The words
“what an absolute C— “ came to mind reading your post and I hope you and all MAGA suffer in hell. All those who voted for him are racist, ignorant illiterate morons. There are stupid people all over the world, however by far the stupidest are in the US.
That Orange moron wants to inject himself into major stories, and bring politics into a tragic incident in order to advance his agenda and attack opponents. I can’t think of a more ignorant, divisive, dishonest person to reach his position in my lifetime. Not all republicans are racist however the only reason he won is that all the racists and worse elements of US society voted for him.
Aisha, you endorsed the statement 47 made by citing photos of women and PoC as "evidence". So yes, you did at least imply this.
Grow up.
I have to say that I have disagreed with Eskimo on 98% of his posts - but he is dead right on this one
If OMAAT is about to sell out for clickbait then they are losing me too
Shame on you, Ben
This press briefing was more about him than it was about the flight accident. He loves being on camera.
He also got trounced by the alleged 'corpse' of Biden and then denied it ever happened. Maybe lets look at the bigger picture here?
But one would expect a President to think twice before speaking and say something that helps society and reinforces the trust in the public institutions.
And yet 4 years ago Trump voters all over the land were refusing to admit the same thing about the 2020 election. Funny how elections are only legit when your candidate wins?
This Convicted Felon President has zero common sense and we need to call him out. Everything is reduced to a reality show now and this orange convicted felon is plain stupid. But what I find it so repulsive is his lack of sympathy to the family and friends of victims! "Common Sense" is show empathy and just STFU. You are not an aviation expert and literally ran an airline to the ground. I so miss President Biden during these occasions. I miss Secretary Pete Buttigeg, who will be articular and sharp. Secretary Pete is someone, who is knowledgeable and will not spill BS. Now we have a third rate reality show and when we need answer, we get "common sense" BS! Signing an Executive Order blaming President Biden and DEI for a plane crash within 24 hours is just vulgar and shows how a Convicted Felon should be allowed to run for any political office. Let pray that we can survive the next four years.
This just isn’t at all how it works. My background is in HR systems and I can tell you that companies go out of their way to hide a candidates gender, race, or age so that they aren’t discriminating based on those factors. Every single leading HCM system assists with that.
DEI is about removing bias, not being biased towards one group or another. Diversity is about celebrating the diversity of life experiences and backgrounds. Equity is about ensuring that all employees are treated equitably, that everyone has the same chance to contribute. Inclusion is about making sure everyone is allowed to participate.
Why are these bad things?
He blames DEI which means he doesn’t agree with diversity, which ultimately proves he’s racist and only does agree with immigration unless they are Caucasian. His entire agenda is race based and anti-environmental.
Biden and DEI are indeed the cause of many woes. If it takes a convicted felon to fix the problem, so be it
Stop involving race and gender in schooling, and home ownership, and police stops, and health care outcomes, and DHS raids, and bodily autonomy, and on and on. Then, maybe a generation or so after that we won't need to help folks out of holes that they sometimes didn't dig themselves into and can actually become race and gender blind.
I'm starting to think that the people who voted for him are simply not the best people. Or even like good people.
Definitely not the kind of people I would want coming to my country.
POS POTUS using a tragedy to create more division. And the losers on here like Arps, with their moronic comments trying to distract instead of simply saying, “ he could have handled themat better, shows just how f’d up of a country we are. Unfulfilled, lil wanker angry dudes, are who support this puke.
To be fair this is a blog covering aspirational travel (flights and hotels) and ways to get it on the cheap if you are US based (credit cards).
If Ben would want to put money where his mouth is he would only cover positive stories that make people want to click his links. Then he also makes money from ad revenue which is where this kind of clickbait is useful. Ben is free to make what he wants of his brand and monetize it the way he wants.
I started the morning thinking all the politicization of this is from the president only to have my social media feed full of ignorant democrats genuinely convinced this accident was 47s fault. This countries national psyche is sick. Politics has become a race to the bottom and I don’t care that POTUS is the one leading it, shame on all those following him down the drain
What a terrible loss to see you disappear from the OMAAT permanently. However will this blog survive without yet another brave soul taking a dramatic stand against reading things they don't like? Stay strong in theses trying times.
Pointing out and disavowing hate and racism is nog political unless of course your politics is hate and racism
And yet, your president stood there on live TV articulating, sorry, rambling his way to the point that it was DEI related and caused. And while I have not read all posts you have been quite strong in his defence in general.
So basically you write that you know his arguments in the press conference are not true, and yet you don't see a problem with that? You don't have a problem with the president knowingly not telling the truth about a crash that has just killed 67 people?
Trump is spot on as always! Trump has the confidence to tell it like it is…DEI is/was dangerous to aviation. I have personally seen the changes at my airline….let the attacks begin but I live with it every day at work.
You liberals and leftists are the sole reason Trump won the election. You woke morons ruined the once great US of A — and to quote Musk: go, eff yourself! Enjoy MAGA
You libs and leftists are true morons and your cancerous ideology has caused all the mess we are currently experiencing in the US. Your self-righteousness and arrogance is just sickening.
Then an absolute moron as been voted in, everything becomes political otherwise youll be on your way to a rerun of the 1930s.
The entire world of news including CNN, NBC, BBC, plus football forums, gardening blogs and dim sum menu boards world-wide are commenting on Donald Trump’s press conference. But some commentators are demanding OMAAT only post about credit cards and seat pitch today?
Clowns.
The mess will get worse with a bunch of racist troglodytes running the USA. It’s a complete joke from other countries how people like you elect criminals. He’s surrounded himself with a bunch of tv personalities RFK LOL.
It’s ironic you say arrogance when that’s exactly what MAGAs are, although they are not intelligent enough to understand irony.
Trump isn't to blame for this crash.
But when planes start falling out of the sky on a weekly basis because air safety has been entrusted to a couple of particularly vocal influencers and an AI designed specifically to be an asshole, that'll be on him.
It was a politicalization of the Justice Department upon many U.S. citzens. (including DJT)
Byeden would have been impeached.
A lot of respondents need to have a little more faith in THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. You’all elected your local, state and federal governments, now support them!
So it is something else. A political hit piece that would make CNN envious. Thanks for clarification:)
DEI programs at the FAA had been in place since 2013. If they were so destructive, why didn't Trump remove them during his first presidency? Seems like he bears part of the responsibility in that case if they are truly to blame (which of course is totally unconfirmed and unfounded at this stage).
Lol this is so contrary to everything America has historically stood for. Just because representatives are elected you aren’t supposed to blindly follow them - you’re actually supposed to continue to challenge them.
The left has spent the last 8 years trying to rise above the muck (granted that's still a low bar), and it hasn't done them any favors.
While I'd agree that this isn't on Trump, I can hardly blame them for throwing their fingers right back at him after his comments.
Or should they just be content eating the $hit forever?
Wait you mean like the right has 100% convinced itself that DEI is to blame for the crash?
What's wrong with you people? Why the outrage? It’s D j.T—what on earth were you expecting? A poetry recital? A moment of quiet dignity? Come on, this is the man who turned political theater into a full-blown reality show. Outrage at this point is like being stunned when a shark bites—it's what they do. Get a grip.
Many things he says are distraction for his actual goals. He wants your focus on DEI rather than this happened on his unprepared watch just as he's cutting the budget. Slight of hand full of mouth. And we fall for it daily.
3,000 top-performing applicants for air traffic controllers were REJECTED by FAA for simply being white while they recruited those who are not mentally stable.
And a Travel Awards/Points website shouldn't be talking about politics. We are here to get updates on travel awards and deals on travel, not your opinion about what a President said.
He can post about whatever he likes. It's called freedom. I personally am very happy for Ben's hot takes on this issue.
@Endre why are you defending him for blaming DEI about an incident that it increasingly looks like had nothing to do with it. The "libtards" did not make him do that. And what about this incident is the fault of the left?
Neve - That's some wild accusations you're making there - any evidence to back it up or just vibes?
@reddargon at least acknowledge DEI programs exist at the FAA. One of the top comments says they don’t exist in the hiring process. I think people are confusing standards to pass training(which is the same for all ATC employees vs hiring which can take DEI into account (well unitl Trump just stopped it)). I think all any of us can do is do our own research.
There is a right way and a wrong way for a public figure to respond to a tragic plane crash. That's not politics. It's common sense.
Maybe I'd have more faith in them if they actually upheld the rule of law and didn't acquit Trump after his failed coup. Every last one of them that called him a con artist, a liar, a cheat, a dictator, have all come groveling back to him and made his election in 2024 possible. There's not a single spine in that pack of cretins. The Republican party of today is unrecognizable to somebody who voted for Bush, McCain, or Romney.
He's such a pig. I'm surprised he didn't say that he was an expert in aviation, because he almost ran an airline into bankruptcy.
@Alex I remember when Republicans were all about the rule of law, yet the Bronzed Don gets away with:
1. Using his campaign funds to pay off a pornstar he had an affair with to keep her from going public during his 2016 campaign - this is why he is now a convicted felon
2. Embezzling government money by directing government employees to stay at properties he owns, and price-gouging his own Secret Service detail for the rooms they used
3. Using state policy to extort deals for his hotel business in China - https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-conflicts-interest-china/
4. Appointing unqualified and inexperienced family members to his admin: Kushner help broker weapons deals for the Saudis and also defended them over the Kashoggi murder while he was part of Trump's admin, and they gave him a $2 billion dollar payout for it. How much did Hunter supposedly get from Burisma again, and remind me when his term on the board ended.
5. Calling state elections officials and demanding they "find" the exact amount of votes he needs to win the state for the electoral college
6. Pressuring state electors to cast fraudulent votes for the Electoral College after it was clear he had lost the election
7. Inciting an insurrection on January 6th in an attempt to pressure Mike Pence to discard Democrat electoral votes as "fake"
8. Taking official documents containing state secrets after leaving office and refusing to return them to NARA. He is on record showing some of these to people who did not have clearance to see them, and when asked by NARA to return them only returned a handful and denied having any more, at which point NARA went to the DOJ - https://apnews.com/article/trump-documents-investigation-timeline-087f0c9a8368bb983a16b67dd31dcd4c
Remind me, weren't the Republicans going to lock up HRC after they won in 2016? Why didn't that happen, didn't they have a trifecta until 2018? Could it be, they tried to persecute a political opponent through the DOJ and came up short? They didn't drop her case because she was elected President lmfao. Meanwhile Trump was convicted of crimes he actually committed, the campaign fund violations. Let's also not forget we never got to see the facts in the Georgia election interference case because he got that dismissed on a technicality, or that the documents case was obstructed from the beginning by his pet judge.
Maybe this is a novel concept for MAGAts like you, but I believe that in the US you should be held accountable in court when there's evidence you committed crimes. Doubly so when you hold political office.
So you have a problem with the way he talks and call him out about how terrible he is, yet you have no issue calling for political assassination. Which do you think is worse - speaking without a filter or hoping for someone to get killed? You may want to take a look at your own moral compass
@KC, at least as of now, you have the freedom to get your news from whatever source you prefer. Nobody is forcing you to read OMAAT. If you don't like Ben's blog, go elsewhere.
>In a time where there was supposedly a great and urgent shortage of needed Air Traffic Controllers, literally thousands of Air Traffic Control pipeline graduates were summarily cut from the hiring pool in hopes that the new Biographical Questionnaire-driven hiring would change a composition of a work force that was deemed unacceptable as it was roughly 85% white males.
You and I apparently read very different articles. Nothing in that article claims or even insinuates that the purpose of the Bio-Q was to screen out white males. The purpose was to both screen for psychological traits that predispose an individual to be able to handle an ATC job well, and also expand the talent pool wider than "upper middle class college student specifically interested in aviation", IE CTI students. I think you would agree that only pulling from CTI programs artificially constrains your supply to that specific group, which slows down hiring and limits the talent pool because that's not a large segment of the college-educated population. I think you'd also agree that while some people may THINK they want to be an ATC, they may not stick with it long if they don't have that psychological predisposition to the job. IE they'll burn out quickly, or be more likely to hyperfocus and lose situational awareness, or more likely to react overreact/get angry when a pilot talks back or disobeys instructions accidently or otherwise.
What does appear to be the case is that the FAA cheaped out on building the exam or got taken for a ride by the contractor that did it for them, as evidenced by the question count comparison between the ATC questionnaire and the private sector example.
You can call him a pig but FAA turned down 1,000 applicants for air traffic controller in 2024 purely based on race. Not very inclusive. Looks like he's right again.
https://youtu.be/UL9LBWnNNz0?si=I6qssUG_U_Plg0NF
@Tim Dunn Yes, MAGAts should move there. The authoritarianism and religious dogma they seem to value so highly is better reflected in those two countries than in the US.
@Abe Trump in his own words urged his supporters to assault capital police and kill elected representatives, so on the balance I think him shuffling off this mortal coil would be a net good. I don't condone or support assassinations for any reason, but the quicker that lifetime of Micky D's and diet coke clogs an artery the better off I think the country will be.
This is an important article and I'm grateful that it has been posted. For those who question the relevance, there's no "points and miles" without aviation safety. And aviation safety cannot be achieved by casting blame when, by the president's own admission, the investigation is just underway. It is appropriate to hold the president to a high standard when the nation is in mourning, and to expect him to set a somber tone and not jump to conclusions. When his behavior contradicts these high standards, those in the travel industry, the travel loyalty industry, anyone who travels, (not to mention anyone else in the country or the world), can and should call him out.
@Arps Is that why the felon phoned Raffensperger to demand he find exactly the amount of votes needed to win Georgia? I thought winners didn't need to "find" votes or pressure their VP to discard the opponent's electors.
He shouldn't say anything because it conflicts with your beliefs? Can you really be comfortable with our President coming out and already handing out blame when he shouldn't? Are you proud of what he said? Was there anything the least bit helpful in what he said at the press conference?
@UnitedEF I have found this. This is a current court case. That's the claim being made by a pilot that was rejected. The FAA appear to have denied race was the reason he wasn't employed.
@BlackHill I have found what could be this claim? It's 1000 not 3000. And this is the claim in a current court case being made by a potential ATC who was rejected. The FAA appear to have denied race was the reason he wasn't employed.
As a brown Latino legal immigrant, you guys TDS is so bad. Blaming Pres. Trump for this accident and making it political while the family of the victims are mourning? He is only been in the office for 2 weeks, all the failures should be blame on last Administration. Trust me, if these left craziness continues no Democrats will be elected President. Latinos are moving away from Democrats.
The fact of the matter is, under the Obama Administration, the FAA turned down many qualified ATC applicants because they were ordered to meet race quotas when hiring. However, the FAA not enough minority applicants applied, and thus many positions were left unfilled because qualified non-minority applicants were denied.
Had DCA ATC not been understaffed that night, and one controller wasn't doing the job of 2, maybe it would have been noticed that the blackhawk was flying twice as high as it should have been and the pilot could have been notified.
"The fact of the matter is, under the Obama Administration, the FAA turned down many qualified ATC applicants because they were ordered to meet race quotas when hiring. However, the FAA not enough minority applicants applied, and thus many positions were left unfilled because qualified non-minority applicants were denied."
Do you have a source for this?
https://www.newsweek.com/faa-reject-air-traffic-controllers-race-airport-crash-2024097
"A major class-action lawsuit has been filed against the federal agency [FAA] over claims that applications for air traffic controllers were rejected based on race.
The original lawsuit was filed on behalf of Andrew Brigida, who claimed the FAA under the Obama administration dropped a skill-based system for hiring air traffic controllers (ATCs) and replaced it with a "biographical assessment," which was allegedly used to attract more minority applicants.
Brigida, who is white and scored 100 percent on his training exam, said he was discriminated against because of his race when his application was rejected.
In January 2014, Brigida received an email informing him that the FAA was "implementing changes to improve and streamline" the hiring process for air traffic controllers and that his application was "impacted" by these changes, according to William Perry Pendley, an attorney and president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, the firm handling the lawsuit.
The Mountain States Legal Foundation is representing hundreds of people from different racial backgrounds who say they were discriminated against under the FAA's hiring policy."
Trump made it political with his asinine comments. And while Trump isn't directly to blame for this accident, the policies he enacted last week and this week aren't going to make it better. Trump started a hiring freeze of new ATCs last week, not Biden, and Trump began pressuring ATCs to resign with severance packages, not Biden. Under Biden's admin ATC staffing was at its highest level ever. Trump is doing everything he can to reverse that, whether he realizes it or not. So no, this isn't left craziness. This is calling it what it is, Trump being the millionaire failson he's always been.
Nothing in this crash points to a political failure. Again, where did you pull that from? This crash is neither Trump's nor Biden's fault.
People are rightfully angry with Trump for blaming ATC, the female pilot in the Blackhawk, and whatever else he can think of for this tragedy. It may very well be true that ATC or the female pilot were at fault, but a guy with no aviation experience shouldn't be making judgment calls out of his rear end when there's no data. Let the real experts do their job and STFU. That's what people are pissed off about.
Perhaps the Right is right in expecting better English comprehension skills from our immigrants.
Why don't you tell your CEO at your job that you're against diversity. Let's see how long you stay employed? Lol
The New York Times, not exactly a fan of Trump, has a story that there is a lawsuit by 1000 applicants to be controllers that were denied positions because they were not the right color or gender. and that it started under the Obama administration.
We'll let the courts sort it out
Your TDS is what you should be worried about or do you just randomly go around and describe yourself as "a brown Latino "LEGAL" immigrant"? So deluded to vote for a racist asshat who has demonized Latinos so that your first inclination is to identify yourself "as one of the good ones" as if anyone here is thinking about your immigration status. Certainly seems to be front and center on your mind though. Wonder why? Practicing for when it's your turn to deal with ICE?
Nothing new. Just imagine how many applicants were turned down in 1974 for the exact same reason.
If you do not want people to share their political opinion here then you shouldn't post articles like this one. Anyway the solution is simple, check the CVs of the people involved and see if they are really qualified besides being DEI. If they do not qualified so it is based on DEI alone then he's right, oppositely if they are qualified and happen to be a DEI hire, as well, then that's fine.
Scanning through the 300 comments here it’s obvious which come from informed people such as PILOTS confirming the DEI problem.
Versus virtue signaling basement dwellers who are espousing woke views out of a misguided hope to get girls.
For all those who complain about our President. What does it say that he summarily beat the opposition (Kamala)?
The election is over. Trump is a great campaigner but he obviously has no idea how to actually lead your nation. He's stuck in election mode, "owning the libs", and doesn't have a goddam clue how to be presidential. The guy can't read a room. He has no idea how to respond in an emotional way like a normal person would, and he's not smart enough to have figured out how to even act like he gives a shit.
As a certified tower controller of more than a dozen years, you sound like a bit of a basement dweller yourself.
Assuming pilot claims aren't born of their own bias (I.E, they see two people make the same mistake but are prone to more harshly judge the person who fits the DEI description), then you STILL have to recognize that airline hiring is not the same as ATC hiring.
Pilots reaching conclusions about ATC DEI is as speculatory as anything I could say about Airline DEI, and therefore pretty ignorant and baseless.
Eating that up as a member of the public is oh too convenient to reinforce your preconceived notions.
He campaigned for 2 years.
He beat someone who anounced her candidacy 4 months before the election.
74 million people voted for her, and considering Trumpers idolize him like he's a God, what does it say that only 1.5% more people voted for him?
He's usually right. Let's see if he is about this once we have all the facts. (BTW - really fake news from the CNN reporter)
My guess is he knows something. Maybe the ATC was an unqualified LGBTQ minority ?
" . . . in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie . . . It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think there may be some other explanation."
That link does only shows that it is a fact that the lawsuit was filed.
That some one files a law suit does not make it a fact that it happened. Anyone can file a lawsuit. It so very clearly not a fact, it is a claim from the one side of litigation.
It is being reported that the helicopter pilot was a trans woman that had been making extremist anti-Trump SM posts. This person was clearly mentally unstable, and it appears flew the helicopter purposely into the plane. If true, then this was a murder-suicide, not an accident, and was in fact due to DEI...just not in the way we thought.
Well…Trump was right. The hiring standards for ATC were lowered in the Obama administration and the criteria for training and capability was lowered. It was reported yesterday in both liberal and conservative news outlets. Trump was fully aware of this when he made his comments. Not to mention he would have known the Military Helo was off course and 200 feet too high. Incompetence. Should have never happened.
From an outside observer employing someone under DEI doesn’t mean that person was not perfectly competent. Typical xenophobia from a trump supporter who equates “ minority “ as being untrained. You have absolutely no evidence but support that troglodyte like some deity. The same slimy moron than has made threats to invade a sovereign state ( Panama) and take over Greenland, which is a Danish territory, and rename the Gulf of Mexico. Most of his supporters would be unable to find these on a map. He then stated his desire to amend the constitution allowing a third term. How many more ? An unqualified criminal megalomaniac.
My best guess here... as an experienced Air Traffic Controller who works with people hired under many different administrations... is that what you heard on conservative outlets was misrepresented, and what you heard on liberal outlets you misinterpreted.
And that's assuming you're not just spewing words as a bot/troll.
It's being reported that Trump assigned the kamakazee mission to be able to justify further reform to fit his white nationalist agenda.
See, I can say words too.
You are incorrect. Whatever standards were in place prior to his first administration were not only left unchanged, but the proposals that were in process were more fully implemented by him. Easy facts to look up!
First, it's a legal proceeding that has not been decided on its merits or facts. Second, racial discrimination somehow supports what the orange lying racist says? So many are so gullible! But at least they post it for all to see!
Who blamed him. He blamed others and specifically suggested that minorities are the culprit as they benefit most from DEI programs. So he is pointing the finger at you!
Well DEI has nothing to do with traditional racism if anything it is reverse racism that undermines merit and competence based hiring regardless of gender or race. I am glad it is dying a quick death in mainstream culture and our government. Our nation and traveling safely will benefit from it.
He's "usually" right. Can't you read ? Usually doesn't mean "always".
BTW - he was right about hydroxychloroquine.
Remember that one do you ?
You know that they same way you know that the earth is flat and that the sun orbits the earth?
No, he wasn’t right about that.
He was right about the source of Covid though and also hydroxychloroquine.
Remember that ?
The biggest problem with DEI is that for well qualified people of diverse background their ability will always be questioned.
In Canadian University Faculty ads 90% indicated that the successful candidate would be chosen under DEI and that white male applications would not be accepted.
DEI is a lose lose for all concerned!
To inject some numerical data into this discussion:
https://www.axios.com/2025/01/31/dc-plane-crash-trump-dei-air-traffic-control-data
As this article shows, people in the air traffic control profession are predominantly white and male. The numbers are far in excess of their representation in the US population as a whole:
~58.4% of the U.S. population is non-Hispanic white
~71% of ATC and airfield operations specialists are non-Hispanic white
~49% of the U.S. population is male
~78% of ATC and airfield operations specialists are male