WASHINGTON ― Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) suggested Thursday that a fatal crash could have been caused partly by DEI, or diversity, equity and inclusion in government hiring.
“I think you have to look at this with eyes wide open, see what happened,” Ogles said on Fox Business. “Human error. Was it some sort of equipment failure? Did DEI play a role in this type of thing?”
A commercial airliner collided with an Army helicopter on Wednesday night in the busy airspace near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Officials said there are likely no survivors, making it the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2009.
The cause of the crash isn’t known, but Republicans in the past year have sought to blame DEI for all manner of problems, especially airline accidents, despite the absence of any clear link.
Billionaire Elon Musk blamed DEI hiring practices at Boeing and United Airlines when a panel blew off a jet last year. Musk’s commentary came in response to an X user speculating about the IQs of Black pilots.
When a rocket owned by his company, SpaceX, blew up earlier this month, Musk pointed to a propellant leak.
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In the first days of his presidency, Donald Trump last week terminated what he described as a DEI hiring program within the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming he had restored aviation safety.
In a social media post of his own on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the helicopter pilot.