10 posts from Thursday, January 30, 2025

-Should people be hesitant to fly right now? -No, not at all. I'm not hesitate to fly. This is something that's been many years that something like this has happened. And the collision is just something that we don't expect ever to happen again. We are going to have the highest level people. We've already hired some of the people that you've already hired for that position. Long before we knew about this -- I mean, long before, from the time I came in, we started going out and getting the best people because I said it's not appropriate what they're doing. I think it's a tremendous mistake. You know, they like to do things and they like to take them too far, and this is sometimes what ends up happening. Now, with that, I'm not blaming the controller. I'm saying there are things that you could question, like the height of the helicopter, the height of the plane being at the same level and going in opposite directions. It's not a positive, but, no, we're already hiring people. No, flying is very safe. We have the safest flying anywhere in the world, and we'll keep it that way.

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-Upon entering office, I signed something last week that was an executive order very powerful on restoring the highest standards of air traffic controllers -- and others, by the way. Then my administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety. We have to have our smartest people. It doesn't matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are -- it matters. Intellect, talent -- the word "talent." They have to be talented -- naturally talented geniuses. You can't have regular people doing that job. They won't be able to do it. But we'll restore faith in American air travel.

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I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our nation. Just before 9 p.m. last night, an American Airlines regional jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three military service members over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., while on final approach to Reagan National Airport. Both aircraft crashed instantly and were immediately submerged into the icy waters of the Potomac. Real tragedy. The massive search and rescue mission was underway throughout the night, leveraging every asset at our disposal, and I have to say the local, state, federal, military, including the United States Coast Guard in particular, they've done a phenomenal job so quick, so fast, it was it was mobilized immediately. The work has now shifted to a recovery mission. Sadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history, and a tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly, and we are a country of really we are in mourning. This has really shaken a lot of people, including people very sadly from other nations who are on the flight. For the family members back in Wichita, Kansas, here in Washington, D.C., and throughout the United States and in Russia, we have a Russia contingent, some very talented people. Unfortunately, we're on that plane. Very, very, very sorry about that. Whose loved ones were aboard the passenger jet. We can only begin to imagine the agony that you're all feeling. Nothing worse. On behalf of the First Lady, myself, and 340 million Americans, our hearts are shattered alongside yours, and our prayers are with you now. And in the days to come, we'll be working very, very diligently in the days to come.

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