Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) faced backlash after claiming that President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing federal hiring contributed to a deadly aircraft collision near Washington, D.C. Crockett initially urged calm but later blamed Trump for freezing federal hiring, including air traffic controllers, and criticized the dismissal of the FAA head. The White House quickly countered, stating that air traffic controllers were exempt from the hiring freeze. Crockett, who had previously criticized diversity policies, responded to Trump’s assertion that the Army Black Hawk violated helicopter altitude limits. As investigations continue, the National Transportation Safety Board has cautioned against speculation while analyzing the aircraft’s black boxes.
