Brunswick Beacon, 02.13.25
America’s deadliest plane crash since 2001 just happened on Trump’s watch, nine days after Trump froze Federal hiring, including Air Traffic Controllers (ATC). Russell Vought, Trump’s pick to head the Office of Management and Budget, said Trump wants to traumatize Federal workers. “When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains. We want to put them in trauma.” Trump declared, “we’d love to have them leave.”
Elon Musk forced Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Michael Whitaker to resign, effective Jan. 20. Whitaker previously fined SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company, $633,000 for safety violations. Trump didn’t replace Whitaker until after the crash.
On Jan. 21, Trump fired the heads of the Transportation Security Administration and Coast Guard and all members of The Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
On Jan. 22, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation Steve Cohen (D-TN) warned Trump that “hiring air traffic controllers is the number one safety issue according to the entire aviation industry. The bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the Administration to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers. The Administration must rescind this ridiculous executive order.”
On Jan. 29, a passenger plane and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing 67 people. FAA’s initial report said the control tower was understaffed, with one ATC performing the work of two.
On Jan. 30, Trump tried to deflect attention from his ATC hiring freeze, mass air safety personnel firings and traumatization of Federal workers. Trump blamed FAA’s “diversity and inclusion hiring initiative,” falsely claiming it recruited severely disabled people to be ATCs. “Can you imagine?” Trump asked.
But the initiative began during Trump’s first term and doesn’t apply to ATCs, who must all meet the same “aptitude, medical and security qualifications.” Trump lied. Can you imagine?
Arthur Hill
Southport
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