Following the fatal midair crash between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane, Wednesday night, President Donald Trump is intent on increasing staffing at air safety agencies, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing.

“That’s why he signed a very strong executive order on his second day in office, immediately terminating DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] hiring practices at the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration],” Leavitt said. “Following the tragic crash … in the Oval Office yesterday he signed a memorandum, directing an immediate assessment of the FAA to ensure the federal government is maintaining the highest personnel and aviation safety standards.”

Leavitt said an investigation is ongoing into whether the air traffic controller was a DEI hire. Leavitt said Trump is focused on increasing standards at the FAA, hiring people based on merit, rather than race.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.