In the wake of a tragic air disaster near Washington, D.C., the consequences of prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over qualifications in hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have come under scrutiny, much to the chagrin of the radical left. Whether they like it or not, it’s past time for us to acknowledge the deadly consequences of prioritizing diversity over merit, and that we were warned that tragedy was inevitable.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue Thursday, vehemently criticizing the policies of the Obama and Biden administrations, which, he noted, prioritized DEI measures over safety. Democrats had a hissy fit and predictably accused him of exploiting a tragic event for political gain.
However, the facts surrounding the incident reveal alarming staffing shortages within the FAA. Reports indicate that at the time of the crash, only one air traffic controller was on duty to manage the traffic, a rookie’s nightmare given that the demands of such positions typically require at least two personnel. The FAA's own admission that “staffing levels [were] not normal for the time of day and the volume of traffic” proves there was a systemic problem exacerbated by inappropriate hiring practices.
Critics have long argued that the FAA’s DEI initiatives were diluting the quality of its workforce.
Last year, eleven Republican attorneys general expressed their deep concerns in a pointed letter to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker. They questioned the agency's dedication to safety and suggested that its focus on diversity initiatives had overshadowed the importance of expertise. The attorneys general conveyed their disappointment, asserting that the FAA seemed more inclined toward "virtue-signaling" than ensuring the security of the nation’s airways.
They knew.
Under these policies, assessments designed for fairness were replaced with a biographical questionnaire aimed at attracting diverse applicants, sidelining many highly qualified candidates. Reports reveal that thousands of top-performing individuals were turned away because they did not meet certain demographic criteria.
Related: Biden’s First Pick to Lead FAA Was a Total DEI Hire Who Knew Nothing About Aviation
One such example is Andrew Brigida, an aspiring air traffic controller, who told The Telegraph that the FAA denied him a job because of its obsession with meeting diversity targets. According to Brigada, it was only a matter of time before an accident happened because of these policies.
Brigida scored a perfect 100% on his training exam, yet the FAA turned his application down because he “didn’t fit the preferred ethnic profile.” He is now part of a class action lawsuit against the FAA that highlights how years of diversity-focused hiring practices have inevitably compromised the agency’s ability to recruit the best candidates. “It was only a matter of time before an accident happened,” he said.
The diversity initiatives began during the Obama administration, but the FAA met attempts to rectify the situation during Trump's presidency with resistance. The Biden administration inevitably brought the Obama-era DEI policies back.
As safety continues to be compromised due to insufficient staffing and inadequate qualifications, voices like Brigida insist that the responsibilities at the FAA are too significant to be hijacked by social agendas. He reflected, “You want to hire the best and the brightest for this kind of job because it is a very stressful job and it can take a toll on you, age you prematurely,” he explained. “You want to make sure that the people that are doing it are the best.”
The warning signs have been there for years. A New York Times investigation from August 2023 raised alarm bells over a troubling surge in near collisions at U.S. airports.
“So far [in 2023], close calls involving commercial airlines have been happening, on average, multiple times a week,” the NYT analysis of internal FAA records found. There were 46 close calls involving commercial airlines in July 2023 alone.
With increasing incidents of near misses and a call for accountability, it is clear that decisions rooted in wokeness threaten the integrity and safety of America’s aviation system. The warnings have been there for years, but hopefully, DEI's biggest proponents will now recognize that they were wrong.
