Donald Trump claimed, without citing evidence, that DEI initiatives at the FAA were partly to blame for the tragic plane and helicopter collision in D.C.

One widely shared claim was that Trump fired 3,000 air traffic controllers shortly after taking office for his second term. One post alone (archived) making this claim had received more than 2.7 million views and 25,

Democrats previously hit out at the president's federal hiring freeze for hindering the "number one safety issue" in aviation.