Summary

Two planes collided while taxiing at Reagan National Airport, one carrying lawmakers including Rep. Josh Gottheimer, who blamed the incident on Trump-era FAA staffing cuts.

The White House denied cuts occurred, despite confirmed reductions of 400 FAA positions in February.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat described feeling the impact and accused the administration of misleading the public about aviation safety.

The crash follows a series of safety failures at Reagan, including a fatal January collision and an air traffic control tower fight last week that led to arrests and firings.

  • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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    “There have been no cuts to air traffic controllers, safety personnel, or safety-critical positions at the FAA,” the White House official X account posted.

    That is, however, not exactly honest—even according to Trump’s own officials. In February, the administration erased 400 FAA roles, including positions that supported air safety. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the cuts that time, though he attempted to minimize them by highlighting the overall staffing of the agency, which Duffy claimed employs some 45,000 workers.

    The usual MAGA approach: lie and tell people the problem doesn’t exist, while making the problem worse. Deny all responsibility for the consequences of your actions while lecturing people about responsibility.

    • NABDad@lemmy.world
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      The usual MAGA approach: lie and tell people the problem doesn’t exist, while making the problem worse.

      More like:

      Lie and insist there’s a problem that in reality doesn’t exist, then implement a solution to the “problem”, which causes a real problem that didn’t exist before, but does now. Then you get to lie and tell people the problem you created doesn’t exist, while making the problem worse.

  • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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    15 days ago

    Wait, they’re now denying the FAA and air traffic controller cuts even took place?! Holy shit hellooo media, hound them on this obvious bullshit already jfc.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      Wait, they’re now denying the FAA and air traffic controller cuts even took place?!

      If you look at the cuts on a 10 year time horizon and consider the money that actually went out on day one of the President’s promise to Make America Great Again and then you invert the graph of plane crashes you will clearly see that you are a woke stupid idiot and flying has never been better everyone is saying it I love America USA! USA! USA! Love it or leave it I will never get tired of winning Trump 2028 centipede Trust The Plan.

      • crusa187@lemmy.ml
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        Bah Gawd, how did I not see it this way? Must be those woke college professors teaching me critical thinking and data analysis for LIBS! Knew they should never have been trusted.

        • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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          15 days ago

          I mean, the joke of modern conservatism is often pairing the “Critical Thinking is just liberal brainwashing” with “We’ve done numerology on the latest Q-brief to divine the hidden meaning of the 2018 primary debacle”.

          Folks are clearly not above spinning their wheels until smoke comes out their ears. You can rocket into deep space chasing why tariffs are good for the economy and only Israelis deserve foreign aid. Just so long as the priors remain undisturbed.

    • SarcasticMan@lemmy.world
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      The best the media can do is agree that no cuts were made and then post an article about how checks and balances keep aircraft safe.

  • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
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    “That is, however, not exactly honest…”

    Stop with the fucking doublespeak and have some god damned integrity. The word is “lie” the administration “lied.”

    • 5oap10116@lemmy.world
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      I think there might be a legal issue where if they say “lie” they need to be able to prove intent to deceive or get sued. It’s dumb but that could be the reason behind the wording.

      • Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world
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        Ok, I’ve been hearing about this for years and I’m tired of the argument so I propose we create a new word that means: its an obvious lie but I can’t say that because I don’t want to do court stuff.

        That word = Fonked

        “The trump administration fonked again today…”

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    The White House is now asking people in power to forget the evidence of their eyes and ears.

    Two planes bumped wings while taxiing on the runway at Reagan National Airport Thursday, marking yet another critical safety failure at one of the nation’s major airports. One of the planes carried several U.S. lawmakers, including Representative Josh Gottheimer, who blamed the incident on the Trump administration’s recent cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming that slashes to the agency “weaken our skies and public safety.”

  • Brotha_Jaufrey@lemmy.world
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    Is flying just not a good idea within the next 3.8 years? Or is it wise to boycott until they reinstate all the air traffic controllers?

  • Sibshops@lemm.ee
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    15 days ago

    We didn’t have all these problems when a gay man was in charge. ☕