In the wake of the deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport, it’s important that we reassess our nation’s aviation safety standards. President Trump said on Thursday that safety standards declined under Joe Biden, and let me tell you, he is right.
To illustrate this point, let’s look at his first nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Phil Washington.
During his confirmation hearing, Washington faced significant scrutiny over his lack of knowledge of essential aviation regulations. Washington struggled to provide answers to a series of basic questions that one would expect from someone nominated for the position of FAA administrator. For instance, when asked about the airspace that requires an ADS-B transponder, Washington admitted, “Not sure I can answer that question right now.”
As the questioning continued, Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) pressed Washington on key issues, such as the six types of special use airspace critical to national security that appear on FAA charts, the minimum separation distances for landing and departing airliners during the daytime, and the factors that cause an aircraft to spin or stall.
Washington, acknowledging his lack of expertise, often replied, “Senator, I’m not a pilot.” This admission underscored a troubling disconnect for a nominee expected to oversee the regulatory framework governing aviation safety and operations.
"Trump's picks are unqualified"
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 24, 2024
Biden's pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration couldn't answer a single QUESTION ABOUT AVIATION: pic.twitter.com/f0IqcOjILR
The hearing revealed a nominee who may lack the necessary qualifications to lead an agency responsible for the safety and efficiency of America's air transit system.
The man was unqualified. So why was he nominated? This report from CNN about his nomination will clear that up:
The White House on Wednesday announced that President Joe Biden is nominating Phil Washington to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. If confirmed, he would be the first Black permanent administrator of the agency.
Well, that clears things up, doesn’t it? As he did with so many other nominations and appointments, Biden cared more about which diversity checkboxes his nominees had checked than their actual qualifications. Washington was such a disastrous nominee that he withdrew his name from consideration.
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Almost immediately after the deadly midair collision at Reagan National Airport, the mainstream media sought to blame Trump for the tragedy. Trump, in an apparent attempt to push back, responded by suggesting that DEI policies at the FAA may have played a role.
"I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put policy first," Trump said.
"The FAA's website states they include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism," Trump pointed out. "Brilliant people have to be in those positions."
The left was livid over Trump’s claims — which were actually true. As we reported on Thursday, the FAA’s website did, in fact, state, “Because diversity is so critical, FAA actively supports and engages in a variety of associations, programs, coalitions, and initiatives to support and accommodate employees from diverse communities and backgrounds. Our people are our strength, and we take great care in investing in and valuing them as such.”
The initiative was part of the FAA’s “Diversity and Inclusion” hiring plan, which claimed that “diversity is integral to achieving FAA’s mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel across our nation and beyond.”
There is zero evidence that diversity for diversity's sake makes air travel safer.
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