@pbsnews: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked during a press briefing on Friday whether the Trump administration has concerns that more incidents like Wednesday night’s midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jet could happen as a result of staffing issues, Trump’s “buyout” offer to federal workers or Trump's hiring freeze of new federal workers. Leavitt, building upon the administration’s past comments and recently implemented policies that they say emphasize merit in hiring practices over diversity and equity, said the president is "intent on ensuring that we are increasing staffing at these agencies" and that's why he signed an executive order "immediately terminating DEI hiring practices at” the Federal Aviation Administration. "When you are flying on an airplane with your loved ones, which every one of us in this room has, do you pray that your plane lands safely and gets you to your destination, or do you pray that the pilot has a certain skin color?" Leavitt told reporters in the White House briefing room. "I think we all know the answer to that question, and as President Trump said yesterday, it's common sense." Leavitt’s comments follow Trump’s suggestion, without supporting evidence, on Thursday that the FAA's diversity efforts may have played a role in the collision, which killed 67 people. Former air safety officials have criticized the White House for speculating on the cause of the accident before an investigation is completed and for implying that DEI efforts make air travel unsafe. The New York Times reported that, according to an internal preliminary FAA safety report about the crash, staffing levels at Ronald Reagan National Airport’s air traffic control tower were “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.” #news #pbsnews #pbs #politics #trump

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Friday 31 January 2025 20:52:12 GMT