Fact Check: Yes, Obama and Biden Had FAA Hire People with Intellectual, Psychiatric, Severe Physical Disabilities

Having grown up with a father in the aeronautics industry—and absorbing plenty of his insights from a young age—there are two things I understand, even as a layperson, about aviation disasters.
First, there is never just one cause behind an airline crash. The system is designed with so many safeguards that multiple failures must occur—either simultaneously or over time—for such a catastrophe to take place. Second, no one—no one—can definitively determine the cause of a crash within the first 24 hours. (Remember when we mistakenly believed TWA Flight 800 was brought down by a bomb or missile?)
The tragic collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army helicopter, which claimed 67 lives, appears to have set a new standard in premature blame. As Dan McLaughlin noted in National Review, some are already pointing fingers at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—appointed under the Trump administration—as being responsible for the disaster near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
However, Duffy had only taken office the morning before the collision, making it virtually impossible for him to have played any role. Not that this has stopped speculation on social media.
"It is not standard to have aircraft collide."
— Eric Slater (@ericsslater) January 30, 2025
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
Ya think?
And yes - he really said this.
This is what happens when Faux News talking heads are put in charge. Duffy and Hegseth both should be forced to resign.
Oh, and impeach trump.
McLaughlin also pointed out that “Trump has actually moved to fix a problem with how we hire air-traffic controllers, in order to reorient it toward hiring the best people in order to make air-traffic control safer.”
This raises a troubling question: Were we not hiring air-traffic controllers—some of the most vital personnel in civilian aviation—purely based on merit?
Fact check: Unfortunately, that is accurate.
For years, dating back to the Obama administration, hiring practices have been influenced by policies that prioritized diversity over qualifications, extending DEI protections to individuals with intellectual, psychiatric, and physical disabilities.
An archived 2013 version of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) “diversity and inclusion” page states:
“Diversity is integral to achieving FAA’s mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel across our nation and beyond,” the site declared. “Because diversity is so critical, FAA actively supports and engages in a variety of associations, programs, coalitions and initiatives to support and accommodate employees from diverse communities and backgrounds. Our people are our strength, and we take great care in investing in and valuing them as such.”
As part of this initiative, hiring included individuals with “targeted disabilities,” which the federal government designated for “special emphasis in recruitment and hiring.” This group encompassed those with hearing and vision impairments, missing extremities, paralysis (partial and complete), epilepsy, severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric disorders, and dwarfism.
Under the Trump administration in 2019, the FAA introduced a pilot program to prepare individuals with disabilities for air traffic operations. The agency explicitly sought to “identify specific opportunities for people with targeted disabilities, empower them and facilitate their entry into a more diverse and inclusive workforce.”
By December 2024, an archived FAA page promoted “‘On-the-spot’ special appointment authority” as a means of hiring individuals through a “non-competitive hiring method.” Among the categories for special hiring were individuals with “severe physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, and intellectual disabilities.” According to Fox News, this program was last updated on March 23, 2022.
Additionally, the Biden administration has been sued over alleged discriminatory hiring practices for air-traffic controllers.
As The Washington Times reported in May 2024:
“From 1989 to 2013, the Collegiate Training Initiative program was a pipeline to a career in air traffic control. The program aimed to ensure future air traffic controllers had the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out the job.
“More than ten years ago, the Obama Administration scrapped 1000 qualified candidates. The administration’s justification was that the pool of applicants was not diverse enough, so they would be purged from consideration. Instead of hiring candidates with the most competency, individuals were elevated for hiring consideration based on their race.
“Despite their intent to expand the air traffic control hiring pool via DEI, the FAA has recently admitted they are woefully understaffed and that current air traffic controllers are severely overworked. One report found that only 3 of the 313 air traffic facilities around the nation met the FAA targets last year. This has forced the agency to admit safety could be jeopardized. To mitigate such danger, the agency has ‘at times halted departures or otherwise slowed down air traffic.’”
Trump has since reversed this hiring approach. A fact sheet from the White House outlined plans “to immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.” Furthermore, the administration mandated “the FAA Administrator to review the past performance and performance standards of all FAA employees in critical safety positions and make clear that any individual who fails to demonstrate adequate capability is replaced by someone who will ensure Americans’ flight safety and efficiency.”
Let me reiterate my initial point: We do not yet know what caused this crash, and it may take time before we fully understand the details. However, in any incident involving a midair collision, the possibility of inadequate air-traffic control oversight naturally comes into question.
And while some on social media were quick to blame Sean Duffy—despite his complete lack of involvement—perhaps they should be more concerned with the broader issue at hand:
Uh, #FAA can you be more specific? #DEI @PeteButtigieg #InclusionTakenTooFar ? #AirlineSafety #TransportationSafety pic.twitter.com/cOeSu1NOUd
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) January 15, 2024
Current job listing for an air traffic controller on the FAA's website is open to people with disabilities including psychiatric & intellectual delays.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 6, 2024
Doesn't it make you feel safe knowing your air traffic controller can have an intellectual disability or have a seizure while… pic.twitter.com/7H8QXQ39WR
When DEI policies prioritize identity over competency in non-essential roles, it’s frustrating. But when the consequences turn deadly, that frustration becomes chilling.