For Immediate Release: January 30, 2025
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
COLOR OF CHANGE EMPHASIZES TRAGEDY OF LOSS AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP BLAMES DEI FOR PLANE CRASH
NATIONAL – In a press conference today, President Donald Trump claimed that the inclusive hiring practices of previous administrations were to blame for the deadly crash of a passenger jet and Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. He condemned DEI as the reason for this tragedy, which is still undergoing investigation.
On Wednesday, an American Airlines airplane and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. The airplane was transporting 60 passengers and four crew members to D.C., and the helicopter carried three soldiers. Search efforts in the Potomac River ensued, but no surviving passengers have been found.
President Trump accused former presidents Obama and Biden of lowering aviation safety standards and claimed that the Federal Aviation Administration emphasized DEI in their hiring of workers, appointing people with “severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.” His reckless statements disregard the tragic loss of human life and instead focus on his anti-DEI, neo-segregationist agenda.
Portia Allen-Kyle, Interim Executive Director of Color Of Change, issued the following statement:
“My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by the devastating accident that occurred yesterday evening in Washington, DC. In a moment that calls for clear, empathetic leadership, we are instead subjected to the current White House standard: reprehensible and inexcusable responses from a President and Administration who prioritize political opportunism to push a neo-segregationist, anti-civil rights agenda over genuine compassion.”
President Trump’s words are not only offensive to the victims of this accident, but they spread a false narrative that DEI policies harm businesses, only encouraging more corporations to roll back their commitments to increasing access to marginalized groups. Since its return to office, the Trump Administration has launched a full-scale attack on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, claiming that these programs make hiring political, instead of merit-based.
Trump’s use of this moment of tragedy to further his own agenda is cruel–it is clear he will not stop until essential civil rights policies are repealed and Black people are locked out of economic access. Color Of Change stands with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this terrible accident and will continue to fight for policies that support racial equity.
“President Trump’s relentless efforts to dismantle civil rights protections and denigrate the civil service are direct threats to our nation’s safety and security. These baseless and unwarranted assaults on career professionals jeopardize the very systems meant to protect the American people. We cannot afford to glide by in silence—we must stand up and defend civil servants with the full force of our voices and the unwavering commitment we bring to the fight for racial justice.”
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Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by millions of members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org.