American Airlines Crash: Donald Trump froze hiring of critical air traffic controllers days before incident

An American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while attempting to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington on Wednesday. The crash has triggered a massive and extensive overnight emergency response in the Potomac River.

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In a statement on X, Texas Sen Ted Cruz said: "While we don’t yet know how many on board were lost, we know there are fatalities."

The air crash comes days after US President Donald Trump overhauled the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday, removing the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and the Coast Guard before their terms were completed.

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According to a press release dated January 22, Trump had also disbanded all members of a critical aviation security advisory group. 

“The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. That’s what the law says, so the Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order,” Ranking Member Larsen said, as per an official release.

“Hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry. Instead of working to improve aviation safety and lower costs for hardworking American families, the Administration is choosing to spread bogus DEI claims to justify this decision. I'm not surprised by the President’s dangerous and divisive actions, but the Administration must reverse course. Let’s get back to aviation safety and allow the FAA to do its job protecting the flying public.”

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, the first female uniformed leader of an armed forces branch, was removed, partly due to what a Department of Homeland Security official cited as her excessive focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

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Federal agency heads were also instructed to identify employees on probation or with less than two years of service by Friday, as they are easier to dismiss. Additionally, Trump issued a freeze on federal hiring, with exceptions for military, immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety positions.

Netizens say, ‘Election have consequences’

Social media was flooded with reactions to Donald Trump's executive order freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers. 

"Eight days ago Trump issued an executive order freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers. This is what you voted for. I hope you're happy," said a user on X.

“I love Adam Kinzinger and love having him as a follow but I disagree with him here. Trump FROZE ALL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HIRING just one week ago. How often do mid-air collisions happen these days? And yes, every Republican would be blaming Biden for this if he was still POTUS,” said another user.

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"I know we’re all looking for ways to dunk on trump but no way announcing a freeze on hiring air traffic controllers a week ago led to a crash this fast [sic]," said another user.

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“There is basically a 0% chance that the freezing of air traffic control hiring a few days ago has *anything* to do with the collision tonight. This is a shameless & thoughtless effort to politicize the tragic crash based on an evidence-free & baseless insinuation against Trump,” noted another user.

American Airlines Plane Crash Update

At least 18 bodies have been recovered after a midair collision between a regional passenger jet and a helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing a police official.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and others, while waiting to catch their flights, soon saw reports on social media of a plane crash while rumours began to swirl.

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“When flights get delayed, people get aggravated and upset. But there was no one getting aggravated or upset because I think we all realized pretty quickly the magnitude of what occurred. The terminal grew pretty quiet. There was a lot of sadness.”

Flight tracking audio reveals no response from the helicopter to air traffic control's warnings, if any were made. The plane's radio transponder ceased transmitting about 2,400 feet (730 meters) from the runway, roughly over the middle of the Potomac River.

(With inputs from agencies)