According to CNN, President Trump held a press conference in the White House briefing room on the same day and said that the cause of the passenger plane accident the previous day was the failure to compile aviation safety personnel hiring standards.
He blamed former President Joe Biden for the downgrade, describing the previous administration's transportation secretary, Pete Butage, as a "disaster."
"We must have the highest standards for those who work in the aviation system," he said.
He claimed that during his first term in the administration (2017-2021), he raised the standards for hiring aviation safety personnel that were established under former President Barack Obama (2009-2017).
"Biden (2021-2025) took office and he set the bar lower than it was before," he said. "Their policies are terrible and their politics are even worse."
He took issue with the Biden administration's "DEI" (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policy.
Among the FAA's various initiatives is a focus on hiring people with severe intellectual and mental disabilities, he said, adding that "the best people should be able to fill those roles."
"You have to be a pilot (air traffic controller). It takes a very special talent," Tennessee Garvey, president of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), told CNN in response to Trump's comments.
"I'm very concerned about this," he said. "Flying in the United States is very safe because we have very strict standards in place," he said. "Everyone, regardless of their background or skin color, gets the same training.
"Continuing education is also provided to ensure that both pilots and air traffic controllers maintain a very high level of proficiency and skill," he said.
"The standards have only gotten higher over the past few years, not lowered," he countered.
2025/02/03 10:12 KST
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