Just hours before a deadly midair collision outside Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night, political science professor Thomas Schaller posted a chilling prediction about the dangers of air traffic controller shortages and the likelihood that President Donald Trump's supporters would falsely blame diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for any aviation mishaps.
An FAA report has since confirmed that the control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was understaffed at the time of the crash, leaving only one controller to manage air traffic instead of the standard two. The collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter left 67 people dead with no survivors.
Schaller, a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, tweeted just 14 hours before the accident:
"An FAA employee I know confirms agency already lacks sufficient air traffic controllers," he wrote. "The so-called 'buyouts' and other attacks on federal employees won't help. Remember that fact when the flight delays (crashes?) commence and Trumpers start falsely blaming DEI or Biden."
Following the crash, Trump did exactly that. Without evidence, he blamed DEI hiring policies at the FAA, claiming that Obama- and Biden-era initiatives had put "politics first" and lowered safety standards.
Trump alleged that efforts to recruit disabled air traffic controllers had compromised the integrity of the system, despite no officials linking DEI to the crash. Aviation experts have urged caution, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing and that no conclusions should be drawn about the cause of the disaster.
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