American Airlines subsidiary, PSA, and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided killing 67 people in Washington DC. President Trump’s response was entirely unacceptable.
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AA 5342 And Black Hawk Helicopter Crash in DC
President Trump’s Response
President Trump commented on Truth Social and rebroadcasted on X shortly after the crash was reported by news.
The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 30, 2025
This is an example of shooting from the hip foolishness and it’s the wrong answer point blank.
The only thing to say is what he later posted the next morning:
I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise.
Donald…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 30, 2025
There is a duty in this situation to be cautious, to demonstrate compassion and understanding, and to enable and empower teams to do their jobs in rescue operations and investigations. It’s not more complex than that.
I can understand the curiosity, the oddity of the situation, and the feelings of upset and anger from learning of the horror that took place just short of runway 33 at DCA. But that’s no excuse. And this Trump’s second time in office with plenty of experience handling complex, tragic situations where the facts simply aren’t known when it’s time to make some sort of a statement.
Had another key leader responded in the same way, as many did, they should do so in a manner consistent with the power and prestige of their office, and the humility that they don’t yet know enough to comment on specifics.
Others Handled It Appropriately
From Secretary of Defense to fellow airlines, just about everyone else took the high road.
DoD actively monitoring. Poised to assist if needed. Prayers for all involved. https://t.co/qoFy90q22K
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) January 30, 2025
Imported video from Vimeo pic.twitter.com/6SkJURfh6K
— American Patriot (@TheBlueMonde) January 30, 2025
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this heartbreaking incident. pic.twitter.com/aZoUDoUzf5
— Qantas (@Qantas) January 30, 2025
Conclusion
Matthew covered this topic here and from what I can tell, we agree. There’s a time and place to discuss theories and it’s not in the moments after a horrific ordeal that took 67 lives. There were irregularities that need to be investigated. We know very little at this point in time, and while there are theories, questions, and circumstances, it’s unacceptable to respond in this manner. The tower may have been short staffed – does that mean it’s the tower’s fault? No. The Black Hawk helicopter pilot might have been at the wrong altitude, is it unequivocally their fault? Who knows. It’s a sad, unfortunate situation that should be met with reasonable skepticism and an abundance of caution and compassion. President Trump failed himself, his government, the military, the people of this great nation, and the families of all involved when a simple “thoughts and prayers” would have done.
What do you think?
Such a devastating tragedy. I agree that the President’s response to the crash falls short, especially in the face of such a large loss of life. It’s crucial for leaders to show empathy and leadership during times like these. The focus should always be on the victims and their families, and offering condolences should be a priority. Looking forward to hearing more about how the situation develops and any updates on how the families are being supported.
If Criminal Trump had any decency and honour about him he would stand down in the wake of his comments about AA 5342 but then again, if he had any decency and honour, he would never have stood to be president anyway and that should have been obvious to voters who were taken in by him in number. It has happened before, 1930s Germany springs to mind and it will happen again.
US citizens now have three years and forty nine weeks to repent at leisure for their choices while he damages the reputation of you and your country on the world stage alongside those cronies he has brought to power.
I’ve always wondered why people who have made a lot of money in one relatively narrow field think that either means they are intelligent or have common sense because it doesn’t in the main apply. Looking at Musk here.
Enjoy US or should we call it North Mexico now or maybe South Canada?
Ok bud (eyeroll)
Oh dear, Dan77W’s contribution is a further example as if one was needed of the lowest form of wit.
The UK is “The pot calling the kettle black”. Big mouth, yeah. Puts the foot in the mouth, yeah but damn near anything is better than the last four years here.
It will be hard for you enduring the following four years, tough luck
@Kyle … Military experience here : This sort of helicopter has Four quadrants of vision : front left , front right , rear left , and rear right . One of the rear quadrants was being observed ; and one was Not being observed . Four crewmen are needed to observe all Four quadrants . There was only One crew chief in the rear . This sort of helicopter needs Two men the rear , to observe both of the rear quadrants . The helicopter needed Four crew to observe all Four quadrants of vision .
The news says that the ATC uses one ATC for the aircraft landing , and one for the aircraft departing , and one for the other helicopter traffic . At some point some ATC went home , and left the burden of the job on ATC remaining.
Obvious facts : too much air traffic , too many aircraft , too much growth of air travel for too much profit .
P.S. @Kyle … I fail to understand how @Kyle , Ranting against Trump in headline and conclusion , contributes anything to a rational discussion of the accident .
While you are correct that Trump was injudicious in his quick comment , he was NOT such a “Failure” as you describe in your headline and conclusion .
Trump did not depend on Public Relations manipulators to write his quick comment . That seems to be @Kyle’s complaint , and for that , @Kyle calls him a “Failure” . Do better @Kyle .
@Alert Now you want to portray Trump as somehow honorable because didn’t use PR for his statement? You shouldn’t need PR for that statement. I don’t think SecDef used PR either, he just used his own personal dignity and professionalism. The effort to excuse any errant behavior from Trump because he’s honest or authentic is just ridiculous. We get it, he won. Does that mean you have to rationalize everything he does?
You are writing as if this is a new side of him. Seriously? If this were an isolated blunder that’s one thing. But how many years, how many insults, how many lies and sensationalist insanity is necessary for you to realize that you, Kyle, are actually part of the problem. You enable him with your support and have turned a blind eye to his horrid actions over these years. So stop with this crap. You own it. You own the hell he is bringing to this nation and the world. This is not something new. It’s who he is. Good luck sleeping at night knowing what you have done.
There’s no ‘problem’ as such. People vote en masse for this stuff, populism is a feature of democracy, not a bug.
Populism is the movement of the weak and uneducated. Just as in Germany in the 1930’s. Not that your response has anything to do with what I’ve said.
The whole point of democracy is to give decision-making power to the weak and uneducated. I think your comment gave too much credit/agency to the likes of Kyle- I agree with your view that electoral success by the likes of Trump is a symptom of a more nuanced/complex problem/situation, but I don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s a defined group of people responsible for that.
I believe culpability is very much in play now. “Fool me once shame on you…fool me twice shame on me.” Kyle can’t disavow one thing now because it fits into his area of knowledge. The road is littered with years of Trump lies, vitriol, and baseless accusations.
So then helicopter flew ITSELF into to airplane?
They killed 64 civilians.
I agree with Antwerp here – Trump’s entire political career has been unacceptable. Yet you people keep voting for him. This is why a lot of people who didn’t vote for Trump are just tuning out this time (to the extent we can) – not going to let this nonsense occupy my mind
You guys elected a guy with no impulse control. Own it. Enjoy paying 25% more for everything starting Tuesday
The lessons from the Great Depression, when a trade war pushed the world into poverty have been lost. But maybe that’s a feature of his stupid trade war.. and a not a bug. This whole DEI nonsense is a purposeful distraction from his bigger picture.
Indeed. The bed has been made.
Canada and Mexico make up less than 5% of the US’s imports.
When the family of a deceased female pilot wants her identity kept from the media, fearing reprisals, our nation needs another reset. Our president is a modern day P. T. Barnum running a three ring circus using sleight of hand and big of mouth. A grifter that has sold most of our country a false bill of goods.
Decorum or empathy are beyond this man. And we fall for this circus daily.
Turkish proverb: when a clown becomes king, the palace becomes a circus.
This is one bad circus.
So true
The only thing that is unacceptable is Rebbeca Lobach flew the Blackhawk she was piloting into a commercial airliner that killed over 60 people. Rebecca Lobach had a low number of flight hours compared to any standard. She served as an aide in the Biden White House. She flew the LGBT flag. Trump was and is right to condemn DEI because it cost 67 people their lives, including Lobach. Standards in the military,,aviation, and the FAA suffer when the government is more concerned about diversity quotas than safety.
The only reason the leftist media and travel bloggers like yourself are not denouncing this bad pilot is because she’s a woman.
@David … Yes : “Standards in the military , aviation , and the FAA suffer when the government is more concerned about diversity quotas than safety.”
You are completely correct in your statement , above .
Yet , you cannot know if that was the causal situation here . Don’t write quick hyperbole .
Likewise , @Kyle cannot know that : “President Trump failed himself , his government , the military , the peoples of this great nation , and the families of all involved … ” @Kyle ought not write quick hyperbole .
Alert, when our military has to fear its citizens, we have NOW MISERABLY FAILED. Stop walking back this wave of hatred and lies that now has washed over a once peaceful country
@Maryland … Respectfully , this country was last peaceful during the Eisenhower presidency , during the 1950s .
And last before that , last peaceful during the Coolidge presidency , during the 1920s .
Sorry , but I have seen more people fearful of Venezuelan criminal gangs , than “our military has to fear it’s citizens” .
Sorry , but your description of a “wave of hatred and lies” appears to be hyperbole .
The nation wasn’t peaceful during Eisenhower. That’s revisionist history.
@Ryan … Well , I enjoy reading old newspapers and magazines . The ones from the 1950s and 1920s are quite peaceful in tone and event . That’s not “revisionist history” .
Um, Korean War? @alert
@Matthew … Touche . Korean war was indeed not a peaceful event . You are correct .
( I was referring to Domestic peace . Even in 1952 , during the presidential election , between Eisenhower and Stevenson , whilst Truman was kibitzing against Eisenhower , the Korean war was not divisive with demonstrations , etc , )
Certainly from 1954 onwards to 1960 , the country was superficially peaceful and calm .
You draw a false conclusi0on not based on facts but based on your prejudice and disdain for people difference than you. Your prejudice against LGBT comes shining through your statements above. Yeah, its your right to hate gay people but you don’t have to go shouting your prejudice to the world.. especially on a travel blog.
DEI didn’t cause 67 people their lives and there is zero facts or evidence on this.. the only thing you have to stand on is your prejudice.
Arnett , you are exactly the reason this nation is ashamed.
@Arnett. You can denounce someone for being a bad pilot without blaming it on their being a woman. Same as you can call a white man a bad pilot….but not because he’s a white man.
Donald Trump is a narcissist who cares only about himself. He has no empathy or compassion for others, and probably wouldn’t even understand why his opinion on a plane crash moments after it happens and without any facts isn’t needed or wanted.
Empathy in a President is great. President Biden had emaphy. Biden was thus a great President. Gotta love logic.
@Aloha … Two examples of Brandon and Dem empathy : (a) pardoning so many family members ; (b) appointing the unqualified Camel-a to be Vice President . Brandon felt so much empathy for his family members and Camel-a .
False equivalency. No one is defending or even talking about the policies of Biden. This is about the conduct of one man that is not fitting of the office of the president.
@Matthew … You are correct . Subject of comment has nothing to do with the article , and is irrelevant .
I was replying to @Aloha’s witty comment about Brandon and “empathy” , equaling “great” , “gotta love logic” .
However , to elevate an injudicious comment by Trump regarding his perception of the collision , does not equate to : “the conduct of one man that is not fitting of the office of the president” . That is over-the-top hyperbole .
And certainly does not deserve the conclusion : that ” President Trump failed himself , his government , the military, the people of this great nation , and the families of all involved ‘”. Again , over-the top hyperbole .
Politicians say offensive things all the time. Most people just give a pass to their own side when they do so, and are outraged when someone in the other party does it.
It is a mistake to have a high expectation of politicians, and a double mistake to have it for one side and not the other.
Really and Biden was fitting? Who are you kidding? Biden let 20million illegal migrants across the border with some of them being murders, rapists, terrorists. Do you think that is acceptable? Trump is not perfect but he is doing everything to help this country to protect the border, to protect the people of America. He’s not a politician but a businessman caring for the “business” of the country.
Harris was voted in to be VPOTUS by more Americans than any VPOTUS in history, and she got more votes in 2020 than Trump ever got as POTUS candidate.
Harris was far more qualified and experienced in governmental affairs by 2020 than JD Vance was in 2024.
Why don’t people just admit this “she is unqualified” talk is just racist misogynistic talk after they just voted for Vance and a repeatedly bankrupt convicted felon, known racist and rapist for POTUS? Just be honest about the “white male supremacist” mentality underlying the “she is unqualified” ridiculousness from people who are so under-qualified they supported a conman and anti-constitutional traitor to the Presidency.
@GU …. the majority of U.S. voters thought Camel-a was Not-qualified . And those who donated to her ought to be concerned about how their donations were spent in a hopeless cause .
Camel-a’s supporters were angry women who don’t know their own gender , beta males , criminal immigrants from Venezuela , college presidents in ivory towers , and working-from-home telecommuters .
Trump’s supporters were regular working alpha males , and women who like and appreciate alpha males . ( In other words : normal people .)
Alpha males don’t have to go around telling everyone they are alpha males. I bet you are bald with a beer gut
Trump didn’t win a majority of voters. He won 1.5% more votes than Harris in 2024’s general election but he failed to get 50%.
“Alpha males”? ROTFLOL Trump’s voters are mostly very insecure types, much like their fragile ego Lord.
Alert. Tsk Tsk Now i understand exactly who you are. An angry trump supporter that hasn’t ever been able to maintain an erection or hold a job , (other than troll 20 hours day ) Clearly not an alpha male. Now go kiss your basement full of cats
I have merely one cat , and Hawaii does not have basements .
And I have never been a Trump “supporter” . I merely observe events , and Not from a helicopter .
People praise the president for candid and unfiltered commentary, which they feel is a genuine and authentic human response. But if this is what is actually how he feels, then we as a country have made a terrible mistake.
I havn’t seem so many moronic, asinine postings concerning the truth being told in years. Everything President Trump has said is true. Everyone posting their negative stupidity of President Trump havn’t the sense to know that they have been brainwashed by the lying media. As the months ensue, the corrupt DemocRats and the brain dead Biden administration will be exposed for the America haters they are. You dumb asses make me sick.
I believe you may be an expert on being brainwashed
Do you have any facts at all to back up your statement? Just because you have been brainwashed by right wing trash media.. doesn’t make it TRUE.
If you can make a credible argument, make it. Otherwise your words are nothing more than a pathetic uninformed right wing sound bite…
@Kyle, this is on you and your fellow Trumpanzees who voted for 4 more years of the Orange Hitler. Don’t gaslight us by now feigning dismay at the scumbaggery of the most worthless shred of human debris to ever pollute the White House. Shame on you.
Orange Hitler is your president for the next four years
Not yours though because you are not american
@Neal Z — Do you have any idea as to just how ignorant you are? You have taken stupidity to a level never seen before. Brain dead Biden and the corrupt traitor DemocRats are the most worthless POS ever inflicted on America and Americans.
This statement, coming from the scumbag bastard who told me that I should die of AIDS… a hearty go eff yourself. It really is too bad that the better part of you and Chi dripped down your mothers’ legs.
Do you really believe this s* you say is true? No need to shout your ignorance on a travelog. Stop with the tribal hatred already. Please!! Its not only tiring but really pathetic. We are all Americans, just with differing values on the visions and values for our country.
Actually, with each story that comes out, President Trump looks and more accurate.
A “social aide” for White House entertainment functions happens to have a side gig as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Really??? With only 450 hours of flight experience, flying in one of the most highly congested air traffic corridors in all of America? This is DEI virtue signaling at its worst by left wing ideologues. 450 hours equates to 11 hours of training. Think about it — would you send a new student driver with 11 hours of lifetime driving experience onto the Los Angeles freeways at rush hour? Of course not. That’s a crash waiting to happen. And it DID happen! With 60+ lives lost. But I guess we’re supposed to just forget common sense and logic, because affirmative action and checked boxes are way, way more important than public safety.
Yet … the senior pilot could have taken control of the helicopter at any time .
Yet … the senior pilot could have asked she be grounded until more training during daylight .
Why did hegseth allow this too happen? He should have stepped in. The new administration has been great at grinding everything else to a halt. Was he drunk and beating his wife instead of doing his job?
Sean Duffy has refused to say publicly if Hegseth sounded tipsy and was slurring words when he first talked to him after the mid-air collision.
Here is some truth you can’t handle:
Your demonstrated competence in math is lacking, along with your competency to comprehend that 450 or 500 flight hours as a military pilot is no small feat or sign of being an unskilled or unqualified military pilot.
Interesting thing is the MAGA nuts at first tried hard to blame the collision on a veteran army Blackhawk pilot who is transgender, but that pilot turned out to be still alive.
Trump owns this tragedy. In 2o19, under Trump’s first term, he Started a DEI program to recruit and train qualified individuals with disabilities, including veterans, for careers in air traffic operations. Yes, this was TRUMP.
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-provides-aviation-careers-people-disabilities
So, if you are going to stupidly go all in on DEI as the devil, then you really should be placing blame on Trump
@ Alert
Oh, surely you jest. Are you literally that naive?? This is 2025. A MAN taking the controls from a FEMALE ‘pilot’ for ANY reason would have meant immediate demotion and his military career would have been OVER. Political correctness and woke ideology cost the lives of 60+ people.
@ Alert
Oh, surely you jest. Are you literally that naive?? This is 2025. A MAN taking the controls from a FEMALE ‘pilot’ for ANY reason would have meant immediate demotion and his military career would have been OVER. Political correctness and woke ideology cost the lives of 60+ people.
Turns out the truth has finally come out and we know now that it was a woman who flew into the jet.
An incompetent woman who didn’t know how to fly.
And yet your alleged truth has no basis in fact beyond the sex of the senior officer aboard
She was a qualified flight commander. She was being assisted by a senior pilot on the training flight back to base, and he had double her hours.
But nothing is going to get in the way of your love for racism and misogyny of the sort that would make Putin’s favorite neo-Nazis feel right at home.
Your statement is nothing but pure speculation .. drawing a conclusion without conclusive supporting evidence. That does know one any good.
For a guy who has taken a lot of helicopter rides and owned an airline, Trump sounds like the ignorant buffoon he is when he suggests that the helicopter should have just gone up or down in the face of heading toward the location of a fast descending plane when the helicopter was at something like 200-300 feet above the Potomac.
@GU … the helicopter ought to have been nowhere near the final landing pattern of the jets . That may have been their assigned route , and they may have been lucky many times before , but not this time .
One can never predict what may happen in a helicopter . There is Nothing aerodynamic about them . They are a maze of opposing forces . They can go up or down , or sideways , in an instant . Without human intent .
Before my many trips in military helicopters , I always accepted they could be my last times alive .
Alert. Lose the drama. We all know how a helicopter operates. Anyone that has been into DCA is inured to the air traffic. So just spare everyone your sissy take on life.
Trump responded how he knows best. Enjoy the oligarchy
Wait until trump fires the NTSB investigators and replaces them with his personal 757 pilots
Nah they will be replaced by some billionaire kid that’s still in high school. After they take his loyalty pledge.
NTSB’s “Safety Alerts: Preventing Midair Collisions, 2015”:
******
The “see-and-avoid” concept has long been the foundation of midair collision prevention.
However, the inherent limitations of this concept, including human limitations, environmental conditions, aircraft blind spots, and operational distractions, leave even the most diligent pilot vulnerable to the threat of a midair collision with an unseen aircraft.
******
“Nothing aerodynamic about [helicopters]” in the air? That’s ridiculous, Alert. A helicopter in the air is literally all aerodynamic.
I haven’t been on all that many helicopters, but I have been on a couple of thousand flights into and out of DCA. Sometimes had it in the back of mind that a helicopter going down the middle of the Potomac or crossing the Potomac could hit a DCA plane; but since it had not happened in the area, I more often thought of a local bridge being hit by a plane than of helicopters hitting a plane.
Seems that Trump derangement syndrome has spread rapidly here!
That phrase (Trump Derangement Syndrome) has become a really lame and pathetic way to deflect from the truth about that man’s actions in the case of this tragedy. Blind loyalty is the true derangement.
@ GUWonder
“From a guy who’s taken a lot of helicopter rides.” Okay, boomer! Thanks for sharing your tourist story and trying to extrapolate that into being an aeronautics expert. LMAO. So embarrassing. You are a walking caricature.
I am no aeronautics expert but I did have some work for big names in the missiles and space tech space and do hang out with a bunch of current and former air force pilots and love science. So I know who to run things by to learn and what to ask so I don’t spout off like you or this low class US President we now have.
******
“From a guy who’s taken a lot of helicopter rides.” Okay, boomer! Thanks for sharing your tourist story and trying to extrapolate that into being an aeronautics expert. LMAO. So embarrassing. You are a walking caricature.
*******
The boomer is Trump. I haven’t taken a lot of helicopter rides. Trump has taken a lot of helicopter rides.
I suggest you check out a remdial reading class, as you seem to need the help. Best of luck with your reading practice.
Here is you getting caught in dishonesty or needing a remedial reading class.
This is what I said: “For a guy who has taken a lot of helicopter rides and owned an airline, Trump sounds like the ignorant buffoon he is when he suggests that the helicopter should have just gone up or down in the face of heading toward the location of a fast descending plane when the helicopter was at something like 200-300 feet above the Potomac.”
@GU … Relax . Trump likely knows no more than yourself . And you likely know no more than Trump . Give it a rest .
Helicopters are a weird invention that you can do it , or you cannot . Like rubic’s cube , perhaps ?
Dude has one job on live tv. Offer condolences and stfu. But no, he has to make everything about himself and blame everyone that’s not name Trump. Welcome to America! Enjoy the ride ladies and gentlemen
In 2018, the Trump Admin FAA started allowing the military helicopters to fly without ADSB on.
Ted Cruz this week unwittingly brought attention to this change in 2018.