The union representing the nation’s air traffic controllers defended workers against President Donald Trump’s comments following the fatal midair collision between a passenger jet and U.S. military helicopter, saying earning certifications “are not based on race or gender.”

“Air traffic controllers earn the prestigious and elite status of being a fully certified professional controller after successfully completing a series of rigorous training milestones,” Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said Friday in a statement, according to The Hill. “The standards to achieve certifications are not based on race or gender.”

Following the collision of an American Airlines jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., which killed all 67 on board both aircraft, Trump criticized hiring initiatives based on diversity, equity and inclusion. During a press briefing Thursday, he also cited efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration to hire individuals with disabilities, including dwarfism, missing limbs and intellectual disabilities.

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