In a briefing that recalled his most extreme first term remarks, President Trump said without any evidence that diversity initiatives caused the midair collision.

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.

Rescuers were still pulling bodies from the Potomac River as Trump cast blame on the FAA, the Army, diversity programs and his predecessors.

Trump appeared to resume the role of blamer-in-chief in the aftermath of Thursday's fatal plane crash, surveying the tragedy as just another American citizen asking questions, rather than as the leader of a nation dealing with its first commercial air disaster in 15 years.

The president at points acknowledged that it was too soon to draw conclusions as he encouraged the nation to pray for the victims. But he moved nonetheless to assign blame.

Donald Trump gave a briefing on the Jan. 29 helicopter-airplane crash on Jan. 29, in which a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter collided midair with American Airlines Flight 5342 as it approached Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Trump repeatedly tried to tie diversity hiring practices to the crash during a briefing on Thursday as he also blamed the previous administration. “Are you saying this crash was somehow caused and the result of diversity hiring? And what evidence have you seen to support these claims?” a reporter asked Trump.

He said he increased hiring standards when he took over from former President Barack Obama. "Only the highest aptitude, the highest intellect, and psychologically superior people were allowed to qualify for air traffic controllers,

In the first national tragedy of his second term in the White House, President Donald Trump wasted no time Thursday baselessly blaming Democrats and diversity initiatives in the federal government for the midair collision that killed 67 people over the Potomac River.

A jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a US Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington.