• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Donald Trump gives questionable response about American Airlines plane crash site after reporter asked if he'll visit

Home> News> US News

Updated 07:56 31 Jan 2025 GMTPublished 07:30 31 Jan 2025 GMT

Donald Trump gives questionable response about American Airlines plane crash site after reporter asked if he'll visit

Trump piled blame on the Biden administration during the conference

Joe Yates

Joe Yates

After the US suffered the deadliest plane crash since 2001 and its first major aviation incident in the last 16 years, President Donald Trump was asked by reporters whether he would be visiting the crash site.

At 8.47pm ET on Wednesday (January 29), a PSA Airlines aircraft, which is owned by American Airlines, crashed into a BlackHawk helicopter that was carrying three US soldiers taking part in a training expedition.

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington DC, when the mid-air collision took place as Flight 5342 approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to land.

The wreckage of both the chopper and the plane landed in the Potomac River, with 300 first responders rushing to provide aid - but sadly there were no survivors.

Advert

Now, while answering questions from the press, one reporter asked whether Trump would be paying the site a visit.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about the collision (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters about the collision (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Questionably, the 78-year-old replied: “I have a plan to visit, not the site. What’s the site? The water? You want me to go swimming?"

He then moved on explaining that it's too early to draw conclusions of what happened, while also taking aim at the Biden administration for encouraging the Federal Aviation Administration to recruit its staff through the diversity, equity, and inclusion program.

Advert

He claimed that some of the workers 'suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative'.

However, Trump did not provide evidence to suggest unqualified people were put in a critical position like flying the chopper, the plane or in air traffic control.

“They have to be talented, naturally talented geniuses,” he added. “You can’t have regular people doing their job.”

Taking to Truth Social in the hours following the incident, he posted: "The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport.

Advert

There were 67 fatalities when a BlackHawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines owned flight (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
There were 67 fatalities when a BlackHawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines owned flight (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

"The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn't the helicopter go up or down, or turn.

"Why didn't the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!! What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!"

After hours of scouring the river, DC Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly announced that the search and rescue operation was off, during a news conference yesterday (January 30).

Advert

"We are now at a point where we’re switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation," he said.

"At this point, we don’t believe there are any survivors from this accident."

Featured Image Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Topics: Donald Trump, US News, American Airlines, Washington

Joe Yates
Joe Yates

Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

X

@JMYjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 mins ago
11 mins ago
2 hours ago
12 hours ago
  • 7 mins ago

    Ozzy Osbourne’s close friend reveals emotional final text he received before rock icon’s death

    Ozzy Osbourne’s close friend spoke about their relationship and final conversation

    Celebrity
  • 11 mins ago

    Jason Momoa leaves fans speechless after shaving off beard for first time in six years

    Jason Momoa has shaved his beard for the first time in six years to tell an important message

    Film & TV
  • 2 hours ago

    Virginia Giuffre's family issue scathing response after Trump claimed Epstein 'stole' her

    Trump explained what Epstein was doing that rubbed him the wrong way

    News
  • 12 hours ago

    Hulk Hogan’s daughter Brooke reveals shocking reason she didn’t attend dad’s tributes

    Brooke Oleksy shut down previous reports that she and her late father were on bad terms

    Celebrity
  • Haunting final post from US figure skating team member inside American Airlines plane moments before it crashed
  • Haunting final post from US figure skating team member inside American Airlines plane moments before it crashed
  • Married world champion figure skaters were on American Airlines flight that collided with helicopter as no survivors expected
  • Donald Trump just offered millions of people working from home a deal as he asks them to resign