Air Traffic Controllers Union Challenges Trump’s DEI Critique Following Fatal Crash
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has pushed back against President Trump’s recent statements linking diversity initiatives to a deadly aviation accident in Washington.
“Air traffic controllers earn the prestigious and elite status of being a fully certified professional controller after successfully completing a series of rigorous training milestones. The standards to achieve certifications are not based on race or gender,” Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, said in a statement.
Daniels emphasized the critical role of air traffic controllers, stating, “The proud men and women that comprise the national aviation safety professionals bear the immense responsibility of ensuring the safety and efficiency of the national airspace system, while working short-staffed, often 6 days a week, and in facilities long overdue for modernization.”
President Trump criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday, blasting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives implemented during the Obama and Biden administrations. He asserted, “Brilliant people have to be in those positions,” and pointed to the FAA’s efforts to hire individuals with disabilities.
Continuing his stance, Trump claimed, “A group within the FAA determined that the workforce was too white, then they had concerted efforts to get the administration to change that and to change it immediately,” referring to actions taken during the Obama administration.
The president further doubled down on his DEI comments in a Friday post, featuring screenshots that alleged the FAA advocated for hiring individuals with “severe intellectual” and “psychiatric” disabilities.
“This is just one reason why our Country WAS going to hell!!!” Trump wrote.
In response, Daniels assured that the union remains dedicated to collaborating with Trump to “recruit the best and brightest” while addressing key issues such as pay, benefits, and the “mounting stress that comes with this demanding job.”