Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke tore into President Donald Trump during a press conference Friday. (Getty Images)
Trump speculated whether diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts played a role in the tragedy during a press conference Thursday, though both he and other officials maintain the cause is not yet clear.
"It just could have been," Trump said when asked if he believed the crash was caused by diversity hiring. "We’ve had a much higher standard than anybody else. And there are things where you have to go by brainpower. You have to go by psychological quality, and psychological quality is a very important element of it. These are various, very powerful tests that we put to use. And they were terminated by Biden."
He claimed former President Joe Biden "went by a standard that seeks the exact opposite."
KASH PATEL HAMMERS ‘GROTESQUE MISCHARACTERIZATIONS’ FROM DEMS AMID FIERY FBI CONFIRMATION HEARING
Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
She later said, "He will continue with the vilification and demonization, he will continue with this madness, until our republic is as White and as male as this administration can bend and break the law to make it."
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Democrats have hammered Trump for tying the collision to DEI policies under the last administration.
Meanwhile, there are voices on the left pushing blame on Trump's aim to slash the federal workforce and other Republican policies.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Clarke's remarks.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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