One of the nation’s most famous pilots had some choice words for President Donald Trump for seemingly blaming diversity, equity, and inclusion for the fatal mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.
Known for his sanguine manner and aversion to partisan politics, Chelsey ‘Sully’ Sullenberger hit back against the Republican president on MSNBC’s The Last Word on Thursday as host Lawrence O’Donnell asked him for his take on the tragedy.
“I don’t want to draw you into politics, but if you have a reaction to what the president said today about this, please share it with us,” said O’Donnell.
After a long and charged pause, Sullenberger said, “Not surprised.” He then added, “Disgusted.”
Sullenberger became a national hero after he safely a U.S. Airways Flight on New York’s Hudson River, known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” and saved the lives of 155 people back in 2009. The plane hit a flock of birds and lost power, according to reports.
Reprising a favored drum from his recent presidential campaign, Trump has suggested DEI hiring practices “could have been” a factor in Wednesday’s tragic incident, further suggesting President Joe Biden’s administration had somehow permitted the Federal Aviation Agency to hire people “with severe mental disabilities.”
The Republican president’s comments further recall his and GOP members’ weaponization of the recent wildfires in California for political purposes, using the disaster to launch attacks against Democratic leaders and push conspiracy theories about the party’s governance of the state.
President Trump has also drawn criticism for his decorum during press meetings on the crash, most recently having told a reporter who’d asked if he planned on visiting the site, “The water? You want me to go swimming?”
