‘Despicable racist’: Trump’s press secretary makes a horrifically racist remark regarding the D.C. plane crash
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is tired of answering questions regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring practices. Despite her frustration, Leavitt’s answers were interpreted for the worse by social media users.
In a press briefing, a member of the press raised the concern of understaffing to Leavitt. She pointed out that Trump thought that the hiring process for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was not normal. Similarly, other incidents can occur without enough people working in agencies. The Washington, DC, plane crash was already a tragedy in and of itself.
Leavitt insisted that the Trump administration intends to increase staffing in several agencies. She then praised Trump for terminating DEI hiring practices at the FAA for choosing workers that aren’t qualified. The press secretary condemned DEI for discouraging Americans from applying as air traffic controllers when forms ask people biographical questions pertaining to their skin color. “Just to put a fine point on this, because this is the third or fourth question I’ve answered on the subject. When you are flying on an airplane with your loved ones, which every one of us in this room has, do you pray that the plane lands safely at your destination? Or do you pray that the pilot has a certain skin color?”
When in doubt, reply with ‘common sense’
The press secretary left the question open for interpretation. Social media users thought her response was racist. One X user thought, “Does she mean you would rather have a white person?” Many others argued that skin color wouldn’t even be brought up in such a discussion. Another X user wrote, “Despicable racist,” in response to Leavitt’s open-ended question.
Leavitt has been reiterating that merit-based hiring will be the Trump administration’s response to the issue. Nevertheless, she leaves questions unanswered and hopes that people will understand what she means by “common sense.” The messaging has been confusing, especially with Trump officially banning DEI programs on a federal level. This doesn’t just affect jobs that require specific mental and physical capabilities. Rather, it also hits minority-owned retailers in airport terminals. Needless to say, common sense is merely a buzzword when the programs the president has terminated encompass more than just hiring practices.
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