An American Airlines plane hit a Black Hawk army helicopter on Jan. 30 in Washington D.C., launching both of them into the Potomac River with dozens of passengers on it, making it one of the biggest aviation disasters in history. Following the unfortunate collision, President Donald Trump took the stage at a news conference to deliver what should have been a poignant speech expressing sympathy over the tragedy. Instead, he pointed fingers at irrelevant policies, opponents and even diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). A recent executive order rolled back on DEI initiatives that set out to cultivate a more diverse workforce. The consequence of blaming this program instead of addressing the issues can lead to setbacks in efforts of equality.
The implications of DEI being the cause for Trump’s failure to mitigate issues, is a scapegoat he consistently abuses. Whether it be economic policy or a humanitarian tragedy, Trump and his administration find all roads that lead to blaming DEI. This attempt to connect the devastation to DEI is deeply concerning. For the executive office to exploit a vulnerable moment in Americans’ lives and pin the blame on people of atypical backgrounds is a dangerously irresponsible move.
The after effects of this showed whenever affirmative action was ruled unconstitutional. The almost immediate attacks from people who might not have gotten into the school they desired aggressively blaming the students who were aided by it. Black and brown students are constantly berated and have their intelligence invalidated because of affirmative action and the same thing will happen to capable people in the workforce.
When journalists directly asked Trump if he was suggesting the crash had to do with diversity hiring, he replied, “It just could have been. We have a high standard.” and “You have to go by psychological quality, and psychological quality is a very important element of it.” This statement insinuates a lack of intelligence within minorities, that they are at a lower standard and only the most “qualified” should be considered for positions like this.
With less than two weeks in office, Trump has already insulted and invalidated nearly every effort aimed at expanding inclusivity. Blaming DEI instead of taking action to bring justice to those affected by the plane crash demonstrates a blatant disregard for productive solutions. It is a terrible realization that the person entrusted with leading the country operates on the belief that not all people belong in it — and even worse to acknowledge that this strategy might actually succeed.
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