President Trump has appointed an acting leader for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hours after the fatal mid-air plane crash near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
Chris Rocheleau most recently served as the chief operating officer for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), but spent 17 years with the FAA prior to joining the lobbying group. He also served in the US Air Force for 10 years, according to Aviation International News.
The move came less than 24 hours after an American Airlines plane and Black Hawk helicopter collided above the Potomac River, killing 64 passengers and crew members and three servicemen.
At a press conference on Thursday, Trump said diversity, equity and inclusion were to blame for the tragic incident. New York Democratic Sen. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez retaliated in an X post, claiming it was the president and Elon Musk's in-person work order that caused the already understaffed air traffic control towers to further collapse, a claim that was supported by the New York Times.
An investigation into what led to the collision is ongoing.
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