President scapegoats diversity and inclusion initiatives while addressing air traffic disaster that left 67 dead

• Plane crash near Washington DC: what we know so far
• Washington DC plane crash – latest updates

Donald Trump used the plane crash in Washington DC to attack his political enemies, claiming Democrats were responsible for declining standards in air traffic control and that the disaster “could have been” caused by diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies at the Federal Aviation Administration.

During a press conference on Thursday about the crash, Trump turned what might have been a sombre briefing into a baseless rant against DEI despite no evidence of a link with the plane crash.