ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
1/30/25
6:47 PM
DAVID MUIR: Meantime tonight, President Trump coming before the cameras in The White House briefing room today, calling for a moment of silence. And then moments later, the president implying that DEI policies, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, may have contributed to the crash. Mary Bruce was in the briefing room.
MARY BRUCE: Tonight, with the recovery effort under way and the investigation only just beginning President Trump, without any evidence, blaming the diversity policies of his predecessors for the deadly crash.
DONALD TRUMP: A group within the FAA, another story, determined that the workforce was too white, that they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that, and to change it immediately.
BRUCE: The president accusing the previous administrations of hiring air traffic controllers based on diversity goals, not qualifications.
Are you saying this crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring? And what evidence have you seen to support these claims?
TRUMP: It just could have been. We have a high standard. We've had a much higher standard than anybody else. And there are things where you have to go by brain power.
BRUCE: But Trump also acknowledged he wasn't sure if the air traffic controllers made any mistakes. Former President Biden's Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responding, "Despicable," saying, "As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls. grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch." And David, tonight, President Trump is doubling down on these claims that diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are to blame for this tragedy, saying it's, quote, “because I have common sense.” But again, he's presented no evidence and this investigation is only just beginning. David?
MUIR: Mary Bruce in the Briefing Room today. Mary, thank you.