Quotes
At this point, we don't believe there are any survivors."
The precise number of casualties and survivors remains unclear, but D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly said at a Thursday morning news conference
Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families."
Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth wrote on X on Thursday
A heartbreaking tragedy for Wichita, and for our entire country." ... Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."
Vice President JD Vance wrote on X on Thursday ... He then recited the Catholic eternal rest prayer
What I've seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely."
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters on ThursdayHow does an incredibly maneuverable military helicopter fly into a regional aircraft by accident with all of the sensors and warning devices designed to prevent an accident like this one? It sounds more like terrorism than an accident. Perhaps an expert on Blackhawks can weigh in here,
he wroteBlack Hawk helicopter was transporting a VIP passenger."
A Reddit thread posted Wednesday night beganSadly, there are no survivors. This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital and in our nation's history and a tragedy of terrible proportions as we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. This is really shaking a lot of people, including people from other nations."
Addressing a press briefing on the aviation disaster, Trump said
On behalf of the First Lady, myself and 340 million Americans, our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you now and in the days to come, we will be working very diligently. My administration will set the highest possible bar for aviation safety. We have to have the smartest people -- it doesn't matter what they look like, how they speak, who they are."
He further saidWe had a Russian contingent (on plane), some very talented people. Unfortunately, they were on that plane and we are very sorry about that. We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas. We will find out how this disaster occurred and we will ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,
Trump addedI put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first and they put politics at a level that nobody's ever seen. Their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse,
Trump saidTonight, as our first responders continue their efforts, we are sending our love and prayers to the families, loved ones, and communities who are experiencing loss during this terrible tragedy. We will provide our next briefing at 7:30AM at DCA. It will be live on this account.” ... As we continue to pray for all involved, we are grateful for the efforts of our first responders during this tragic event.”
She wrote ... She added
My heart goes out to those impacted by last night’s terrible tragedy. I pray for those who so sadly lost their lives, their families & loved ones, & the first responders who have worked tirelessly through the night. May they find strength and solace in this difficult time,
First Lady Melania Trump expressed her condolences as she wrote ... on ThursdayBrilliant people have to be in those positions, and their lives are actually shortened, very substantially shortened because of the stress where you have many, many planes coming into one target and you need a very special talent and a very special genius to be able to do it,
Trump said
The initiative is part of the FAA’s ‘diversity and inclusion hiring plan,’ which says diversity is ‘integral to achieving the FAA’s mission of ensuring safe and efficient travel.’ I don't think so. I don't think so. I think it's just the opposite,
he saidI have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls,
Trump posted on Truth Social
What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!”
In another post, he addedThe airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time,
Trump posted on Truth Social early Thursday morning
Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We're monitoring the situation, but for now let's hope for the best,
he saidUnbelievable. This is a U.S. congresswoman spreading a debunked conspiracy. There was no hiring freeze for ATC, and even if there had been, none of the controllers working the most senior airspace in the system would have been hired eight days ago."
Bonchie, an online pseudonym for a writer at the conservative news site RedState, replied to TorresThis is why who you vote for matters. Just a week ago, Trump put a freeze on the hiring of air traffic controllers."
Film director Princella D. Smith posted on X, formerly Twitter