Following the tragic collision of a military helicopter and a commercial airliner near Washington, D.C., which claimed 67 lives, Kansas Representative Sharice Davids joined Meet the Press NOW to discuss the incident and respond to President Donald Trump’s comments about its causes.
The crash, involving a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet that had taken off from Wichita, Kansas, has left the nation in mourning and raised urgent questions about aviation safety.
Rep. Davids, whose district includes the Kansas City metropolitan area, expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families. “This is such a heartbreaking tragedy,” she said. “The folks who are waiting for a text message from their loved one, their teammates, and everyone in our state—Kansas is mourning this tragedy.”
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Davids emphasized the importance of allowing the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to conduct a thorough investigation without political interference. “The NTSB has the responsibility, skills, and experience to get to the bottom of exactly what happened,” she said. “The most effective thing we can do as federal officials is to assure people that they can travel safely and let the NTSB do their work.”
President Trump sparked controversy during a press conference on Thursday when he linked the crash to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and air traffic control failures. Trump criticized the FAA’s hiring practices, arguing that DEI initiatives have placed unqualified individuals in critical roles.
“We need the highest level of genius in these jobs,” Trump said. “These are not people that should be doing this particular job. They’d be very good for certain jobs, but not this.”
When pressed by reporters about whether it was too soon to assign blame, Trump dismissed the questions, stating, “I have common sense. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t.” He also questioned the altitude positioning of the aircraft and the military helicopter’s presence in a commercial flight path, suggesting that basic aviation safety principles should have prevented the collision.
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Rep. Davids criticized Trump’s comments, calling them “reckless” and unhelpful. “I’m disappointed anytime we have federal officials, whether it’s the president, vice president, or anyone else, getting out in front of this investigation,” she said. “The victims and their families deserve to have us be as responsible as possible in the way we communicate.”
Davids stressed that speculation from political leaders could undermine public trust in the investigation and the aviation system. “The NTSB, FAA, and Department of Defense are conducting an investigation, and speculation from the president or anyone else is not helpful,” she said.
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While the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Davids acknowledged that the findings could lead to necessary changes in aviation procedures. “If there are changes we need to make to processes or procedures, whether it’s in the FAA or the Department of Defense, we’re going to do that,” she said.
The congresswoman also reassured the public about the safety of air travel, noting that the U.S. has one of the safest airspaces in the world. “You can take your flight. You can travel,” she said. “The United States has the safest airspace, and a lot of that is because we let the NTSB do the work they do so effectively.”
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