'Unfit to lead': Blue state governor lashes out at Trump for targeting DEI policies after DC plane crash

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused President Donald Trump of being excessively incompetent to pb the state due to the fact that helium suggested the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) prioritization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) played a relation successful the tragic Washington, D.C., craft collision connected Wednesday.

"We look the unfortunate world that we indispensable beryllium honorable with the federation about: Donald Trump is unfit to pb during moments of situation similar this," Pritzker said successful a connection Thursday night. 

The bluish authorities governor, whom Trump evoked connected the run way arsenic an illustration of the downfall of Democrat-run states, urged the Trump medication to respond to the American Airlines clang with "information and facts to instill assurance successful our nation’s aviation safety."

"Before victims person adjacent been identified, Trump is blaming radical with disabilities," Pritzker said, referring to FAA DEI hiring practices. "He’s blaming the U.S. work members successful the Blackhawk helicopter. He’s blaming hiring programs helium can’t adjacent sanction oregon connection examples of. The subordinate stops with him — yet helium is failing to show his relation arsenic protector of the American radical and caput of our government."

TRUMP ATTACKS DEI POLICIES AFTER DC PLANE CRASH, SAYS FAA EMPLOYEES MUST BE HELD TO 'HIGHEST STANDARDS'

President Joe Biden, right, is greeted by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker upon accomplishment astatine Soldier Field Landing Zone connected his mode to the Democratic National Convention successful Chicago connected Aug. 19, 2024. (Reuters/Craig Hudson)

The second-term politician is among the agelong database of Democrats considering a 2028 statesmanlike run. Pritzker has seized opportunities implicit the past 2 weeks to play a enactment relation successful Democrat absorption to Trump, refusing, for example, to travel Trump’s enforcement bid ending birthright citizenship. 

PRITZKER BASHES TRUMP ORDER ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: 'WE WILL NOT FOLLOW AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER'

Pritzker’s comments Thursday were the latest successful a long-standing feud betwixt the two. 

"Sloppy J.B. Pritzker… has presided implicit the demolition and disintegration of Illinois astatine levels ne'er seen earlier successful immoderate State," Trump wrote connected Truth Social successful June. "Crime is rampant and radical are, sadly, fleeing Illinois. Unless a alteration is made astatine the Governor’s level, Illinois tin ne'er beryllium Great Again!"

Trump’s attacks person veered into the advertisement hominem, labeling Pritzker a "rotund Governor from the erstwhile large State of Illinois, who makes Chris Christie look similar a antheral model."

In his statement, Pritzker demanded the Trump medication reply his "critical questions," including wherefore the power operation was not afloat staffed during the crash; wherefore the Trump medication fired members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee; whether the president present understands afloat staffing national agencies is simply a "matter of beingness and death"; and whether helium plans to reverse national workforce cuts. 

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, right, slammed President Donald Trump's enactment pursuing the American Airlines crash. (AP/Getty)

Pritzker questioned whether Elon Musk played a relation successful the removal of the erstwhile FAA director; wherefore a replacement for FAA manager was not named until aft the crash; whether the national authorities authorized the Blackhawk chopper to alert connected a commercialized formation path; and if the authorities volition proceed allowing helicopters to alert astatine the aforesaid altitude arsenic commercialized planes.

"Will the President, Vice President, Defense Secretary, and Transportation Secretary cooperate with the autarkic NTSB probe and close immoderate misinformation they dispersed astir the crash?" Pritzker demanded to know.

Trump connected Thursday listed headlines astir Biden-era FAA DEI hiring that helium suggested weakened the agency.

"Here's one," Trump said successful the White House briefing room. "The FAA's diverseness propulsion includes absorption connected hiring radical with terrible intelligence and psychiatric disabilities. That is amazing. And past it says the FAA says radical with terrible disabilities, the astir underrepresented conception of the workforce, and they privation them in. They tin beryllium aerial postulation controllers. I don't deliberation so."

President Donald Trump speaks successful the James Brady Press Briefing Room astatine the White House successful Washington, D.C., connected Thursday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

"This was connected January 14th, truthful that was a week earlier I entered office," Trump said, seeking to propulsion blasted onto the Biden administration. "They enactment a large propulsion to enactment diverseness into the FAA's program."

Trump past expanded his database of conditions allowed among controllers: "Hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, implicit paralysis, epilepsy, terrible intelligence disability, psychiatric disability, and dwarfism."

The president drew a stark opposition betwixt Democratic policies and his ain first-week enforcement orders that halted DEI programs successful the national authorities and restored "the highest standards of aerial postulation controllers."

"Brilliant radical person to beryllium successful those positions," helium stated.

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When asked however helium came to the decision that diverseness had thing to bash with the crash, the president said, "Because I person communal sense."

Pritzker is not the lone imaginable 2028 Democratic statesmanlike contender who took contented with Trump’s comments. After Trump called erstwhile Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg a "disaster," Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic superior candidate, called Trump’s comments "despicable."

"As families grieve, Trump should beryllium leading, not lying," helium wrote connected X. "We enactment information first, drove down adjacent calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercialized hose clang fatalities retired of millions of flights connected our watch. President Trump present oversees the subject and the FAA. One of his archetypal acts was to occurrence and suspend immoderate of the cardinal unit who helped support our skies safe."