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DEI Derangement Syndrome: Trump’s Latest Scapegoat [1]

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Date: 2025-01-31

Trump’s blatant hostility toward people of color and his unwavering allegiance to white supremacy continue to shock and appall. His recent comments regarding the tragic mid-air collision on January 29, 2025, between a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk Helicopter and a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ701ER passenger jet reflect a disturbing pattern of rhetoric. The crash, which occurred as the aircraft approached runway 33 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), resulted in the heartbreaking loss of 67 lives.

In a news conference the following day, Trump’s response was both unfounded and inflammatory. With no factual basis to support his claims, he blamed the crash on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Trump made a broad, unsupported assertion that DEI efforts had led to a deterioration of safety standards, citing nothing more than “common sense” as his justification. This unfounded conspiracy theory is not new for Trump, who has consistently sought to undermine progressive policies, particularly those that promote diversity and inclusion. In this instance, DEI initiatives became his latest scapegoat, with Trump briefly mentioning the helicopter pilots’ potential fault before quickly pivoting back to his DEI accusations.

Why did he feel the need to attach DEI to this tragedy? There is no evidence to suggest that diversity initiatives contributed to the collision in any way. The air traffic controller overseeing the aircraft had the helicopter pilots confirm that they had visual contact with the plane involved. From that moment, the responsibility shifted from the controller to the pilots. This fact alone undermines Trump’s narrative, yet he continued to focus on DEI as the supposed cause.

Trump’s obsession with DEI policies is part of a larger, troubling pattern that seeks to stoke division and sow distrust. His administration, notorious for its disregard for facts and its attempts to roll back civil rights protections, is now using DEI as the latest tool to rally his base. Following his lead, other Republican officials have jumped on the DEI bandwagon. Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth all echoed Trump’s rhetoric in their comments about the tragedy.

This behavior reflects a larger, more insidious trend within the Republican Party, where policies designed to ensure fairness and equity are vilified in favor of divisive rhetoric. The attacks on DEI are not just a distraction from the real issues but part of a broader strategy to fuel culture wars and discredit those working toward a more inclusive society.

Not only is Trump’s rationale bizarre and unsupported by facts, but it also risks undermining public trust in critical institutions like the FAA and the military. In a time of tragedy and uncertainty, the American public deserves a response grounded in facts and compassion, not baseless scapegoating. Trump’s obsession with DEI may have momentarily captured the attention of his supporters, but it is unlikely to stand the test of time. As the investigation into the crash unfolds and more information comes to light, his narrative is likely to unravel, leaving his rhetoric exposed for what it truly is: a baseless attack on policies designed to foster equality and inclusion.

Trump’s fixation on DEI as the cause of this tragic accident is a dangerous example of his DEI Derangement Syndrome. As the story develops with more facts, it will become clear that such conspiracy theories do nothing to bring the country together or address the real issues facing the aviation industry and the safety of its passengers.

#Trump # DEIDerangementSyndrome #AirlineCrash #ConspiracyTheory #WhiteSupremacy

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