Trump says he won't visit DC plane crash site because it's 'the water‘ - The president said on Thursday he would be meeting with some of the families of victims of the tragedy, but did not specify whe

In the first national tragedy of his second term in the White House, President Donald Trump wasted no time Thursday baselessly blaming Democrats and diversity initiatives in the federal government for the midair collision that killed 67 people over the Potomac River.

Trump repeatedly tried to tie diversity hiring practices to the crash during a briefing on Thursday as he also blamed the previous administration. “Are you saying this crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring? And what evidence have you seen to support these claims?” a reporter asked Trump.

The president at points acknowledged that it was too soon to draw conclusions as he encouraged the nation to pray for the victims. But he moved nonetheless to assign blame.

After briefly offering his sympathies to the families of those killed in the crash, and confirming there were no survivors, he pivoted to assigning blame for the tragedy - taking aim at his political

Trump appeared to resume the role of blamer-in-chief in the aftermath of Thursday's fatal plane crash, surveying the tragedy as just another American citizen asking questions, rather than as the leader of a nation dealing with its first commercial air disaster in 15 years.

An American Airlines flight crashed into the Potomac River after colliding with a helicopter near the Reagan National Airport. President Trump and Vice President Vance have expressed condolences.

President Donald Trump took the podium at Thursday's White House press briefing to address the deadly plane crash near Reagan National Airport Wednesday night. It is the first national tragedy the president has had to address in his second term.

A midair collision near D.C. has raised concerns over FAA staffing, prompting scrutiny of air traffic control and aviation safety oversight.

American Eagle Flight 5342 en route from Wichita, Kansas (ICT), to Washington, D.C. (DCA) was involved in an accident at DCA,” the airline said in a statement.

A midair collision near Reagan National Airport has raised questions about aviation safety protocols, following Donald Trump’s controversial hiring freeze on air traffic controllers just days earlier.