Defense Secretary Attacks DEI Programs At Briefing Into Collision Involving Army Helicopter

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed President Donald Trump's baseless claims that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies could have led to a fatal mid-air collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

Hegseth joined Trump at a White House briefing on Wednesday night's crash that killed 64 people on the plane and three on the military helicopter.

Trump, without evidence, blamed the crash on Democrats, DEI policies, former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and a "FAA diversity push."

"We must have only the highest standards for those who work in our aviation system. I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary," Trump said told the reporters in the White House briefing room.

Hegseth began by saying the crash was a "mistake" possibly caused by "some sort of elevation issue" that will be investigated.

Then he echoed Trump's comments, saying federal agencies should only "have the best and brightest in every position possible."

"As you said in your inaugural, it is colorblind and merit based, the best leaders possible, whether it's flying Black Hawks, flying airplanes, leading platoons or in government, the era of DEI is gone at the Defense Department, and we need the best and brightest, whether it's in our air traffic control or whether it's in our generals, or whether it's throughout government," Hegseth said.

Hegseth said the chopper was on a training flight and the crew was "fairly experienced."

"At about 8:48 last night, a UH60, assigned to the U.S. Army Aviation Brigade in the military district of Washington, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, collided tragically with a civilian airliner," Hegseth said in a an earlier video update.

"The Army unit involved was with Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion at Fort Belvoir. It was an annual proficiency training flight," he said.

"We do know on our side who was involved. It was a fairly experienced crew, and that was doing a required annual night evaluation. They did have night vision goggles," the defense secretary continued, adding that he would not identify the soldiers until notification of next of kin.

He said the three soldiers on the helicopter and the 64 passengers and crew on Flight 5342 are "in our prayers, their families and their communities as people are notified. I can't imagine and I know it's gone from a rescue mission to a recovery mission."