Democrats harshly criticized President Donald Trump for a news conference Thursday in which he said that his predecessors and diversity were to blame for Wednesday night’s fatal collision of an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The president also blamed the Biden and Obama administrations for the overnight plane crash in Washington, D.C., where there have been no reported survivors.

Trump on Thursday criticized hiring practices of his predecessor that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion.

He told a news conference that diversity hiring efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration may have led to safety issues.

Initiatives aimed at expanding the workforce existed under President Trump's first term, including a program that aimed to recruit and train qualified individuals with disabilities, including veterans,