Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hit back on Thursday after President Donald Trump blamed him and assorted "diversity" initiatives for Wednesday night's deadly plane crash over Washington D.

Buttigieg pointed out that the U.S. hadn't had a deadly airline crash in 16 years and that Trump fired "key personnel who helped keep our skies safe."

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg hit back after President Trump criticized the Biden administration and diversity initiatives in the aftermath of a deadly midair collision outside

Mike Whitaker, unanimously confirmed as the FAA administrator in October 2023, stepped down early from his five-year term on Jan. 20 when Trump took office and for 10 days the FAA declined to say who was running the agency on an acting basis. Trump has not yet named a permanent candidate to replace Whitaker.

Pete Buttigieg, former transportation secretary and former South Bend mayor, called Trump's comments during today's press briefing "despicable."

President Donald Trump slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for running the agency "into the ground" following the D.C. plane crash disaster.

Trump said he didn't know what caused the crash but "we have some very strong opinions and ideas."

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg slammed President Donald Trump on Thursday after Trump blamed the deadly midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River on diversity,

After a deadly air disaster in the U.S., President Trump appointed Chris Rocheleau as the acting head of the FAA. The incident sparked political debate, with Trump questioning previous diversity efforts at the agency.

In his first news conference since the aircraft collision over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump on Thursday implied that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause, although an investigation has only just begun into the fatal disaster.

U.S. President Trump states that Buttigieg is a disaster and that diversity is not integral to the FAA's mission. He also criticizes the Obama administration's efforts to address diversity and equity in the FAA.