Posted on 01/31/2025 4:28:33 AM PST by Morgana
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifery Homendy stunned reporters after being asked several ways if President Donald Trump jumped the gun by blaming the deadly D.C. crash on 'DEI' and previous administrations.
Homendy led a press conference on-site at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Thursday afternoon.
Several of the reporters in the crowd asked her about Trump's eyebrow-raising assertions that he made standing at the podium earlier Thursday in the White House briefing room.
'With all due respect, I think the press also likes to state what probable cause is before we get to the probable cause,' Homendy said. 'So what I'm going to say is you need to give us time.'
Just 10 days into his administration and Trump manned the podium Thursday morning to respond to the deadly crash between an American Airlines commuter jet and an Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night.
The crash killed 67 people - 60 passengers and four crew members on the AA flight that was coming in from Wichita, Kansas, and the three on board the military helicopter.
Trump's press briefing got off to a solemn start - with a moment of silence for the victims and other compassionate comments - but quickly turned into a blame game.
'I changed the Obama standards to very mediocre at best to extraordinary,' the president said. 'Only the highest aptitude have to be, the highest intellect and psychologically superior people were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers. That was not so prior-to.'
And then when I left office, and Biden took over, he changed them back to lower than ever before,' Trump continued. 'I put safety first. Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I think her response is fine. NTSB performs research to determine a probable cause and contributing factors. Trump made his statement and she informs the press that they also make statements before all of the information is known. DEI was practiced at the FAA. Whether DEI is a cause or factor in this accident is currently unknown.
Recruiting for ATCs, like recruiting for the military, must be, at this point (after four years of Biden and crew meddling and interfering for the worse) absolutely tanking. The best candidates are probably well aware of the problem and have long since been seeking employment elsewhere.
There’s not much she can say at this point. I don’t have a problem with her statement.
How many times did Trump say something that was quoted by press as “without evidence” and later proved true?
Professional answer and what I’d expect.
But if you were paying attention to other FR posts since last night...
...it looks like DJT was right yet again.
The army helicopter ran into the jet airliner the helicopter pilot had acknowledged he had in sight.
The airliner was on a short final approach with its pilots concentrating on the last seconds of the approach which are critical. The airliner had its landing gear and flaps down which greatly limited the options of its pilots.
The helicopter could have stopped its forward progress, hovered or immediately altered course. It was NOT in a critical flight mode as was the airliner.
The airliner on its final approach had the right of way by long-standing rules of flight.
I wonder if the alleged trainee pilot crashed purposely?
“But if you were paying attention to other FR posts since last night...”
I fell asleep, long day. What did I miss?
when I watch video of it, it looks as if the black hawk ran into the AA on purpose. Okay I’m not military but can’t those things be controlled better an a large airliner? Can’t one steer those away from danger, faster? No it looks like the guy ran strait into that plane.
Trump’s job is to lead America. Homedy’s job is to play Sherlock Holmes, keep her mouth shut and collect data.
Don’t feel bad. So did I, only seeing it this morning
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4293834/posts
yep, nearly 100% the helicopters fault which was VFR, with of course some responsibility to the controler
Yes there is...
The atc was trying to communicate with the helo...
No response.
It does not matter if you got 30 of the brightest in the tower.
If you do not get a response to directions given tragedy will soon follow.
Don’t fall for the narrative.
The NTSB guy said yesterday that no statement would/could be made without the express authorization from his office
Was she authorsed to respond?
I do not believe the current reports about a transexual on the helicopter. I think that’s been debunked. I know that Trump knows a lot more about this than any of us or the press. I believe his comments are from a position of knowledge, not speculation, as we have seen many times before.
She’s a trainwreck and now she’s toast.
I have no doubt that the Helo pilot (insert gender of their choice here) did this intentionally.
If I’m not mistaken, I thought I read that Pres. Trump has stated that he will remove Transes from the military.
So, “last act of defiance?”
A shame that there is not a cockpit flight recorder on the Helo. I am certain that there had to have been some “heated discussion” from the co-pilot trying to keep this from happening.
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