Republican Rep. Questions if DEI Caused D.C. Plane Crash
The mid-air crash, which involved 64 people on a commercial flight and 3 from a military helicopter, likely killed everyone involved.
Fox News
A Republican representative questioned if DEI may at fault for the D.C. plane crash on Wednesday night that likely killed all involved.
The mid-air crash, which involved 64 people on a commercial flight and 3 from a military helicopter, has now turned into a recovery mission on Thursday morning, with no survivors expected to be found.
Rep. Andy Ogles on the DCA plane crash: "Did DEI play a role in this type a thing?" pic.twitter.com/KNrWT4tg9w
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 30, 2025
Just hours after the fatal collision, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles questioned if diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which have become a hotbed debate among the GOP, was the cause of the crash.
Ogles, a House Homeland Security Committee member, said that they would investigate everything, including whether or not DEI caused the crash.
“Well, you know, at this time, you hate to jump to any conclusions,” Ogles said on Fox Business News Thursday. “But, you know, to your point, I think you have to look at this with eyes wide open, see what happened. You know, human error, was it some sort of equipment failure? Did DEI play a role in this type of thing?”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Ogles is not the only Republican to spout possible conspiracies behind the attack.
President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Wednesday night: “It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”
“This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented,” Trump continued. “NOT GOOD!!!”
Billionaire Bill Ackman also questioned the reasoning behind the crash.
“How does an incredibly maneuverable military helicopter fly into a regional aircraft by accident with all of the sensors and warning devices designed to prevent an accident like this one?,” Ackman wrote on X. “It sounds more like terrorism than an accident. Perhaps an expert on Blackhawks can weigh…” It now appears that Ackman’s post has been taken down.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.