On Jan. 29, 2025, a passenger plane approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport collided with a U.S. military helicopter, killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. Politicians, commentators and social media users were quick to share their theories about what caused the crash, ranging from purported DEI hiring policies under former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to President Donald Trump's hiring freeze of federal employees.
One widely shared claim was that Trump fired 3,000 air traffic controllers shortly after taking office for his second term. One post alone (archived) making this claim had received more than 2.7 million views and 25,000 likes, as of this writing.
It is unclear where this rumor originated, but the fact that dozens of users shared posts with identical language could indicate a disinformation campaign.
While Trump did sign a memorandum on Jan. 22, 2025, ending a Biden administration Federal Aviation Administration hiring policy that he said "prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) over safety and efficiency" and ordered the FAA administrator to review the performance of FAA employees in "critical safety positions," there is no evidence he specifically approved the firing of 3,000 air traffic controllers. The key text of the memorandum is as follows:
- This Presidential Memorandum orders the Secretary of Transportation and FAA Administrator to immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory, merit-based hiring.
- It also requires 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.
The federal hiring freeze Trump signed Jan. 20, 2025, applied to all executive departments and agencies, except military personnel of the armed forces or to positions related to immigration enforcement, national security or public safety. It's unclear whether air traffic controllers were included as exemptions.
As of September 2024, the FAA had more than 14,000 air traffic controllers across the U.S., and it made the largest number of hires in nearly a decade in 2024. We reached out to the FAA and the Trump administration seeking comment and will update this story if we receive a response.
It is still too early, as of this writing, to definitively state the cause of the midair collision in Washington. On Jan. 30, 2025, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it would release a preliminary report within 30 days.
The Associated Press originally reported that an FAA report it obtained said staffing was "not normal" in the air traffic control tower at the Washington airport, but later reported that "staffing at the air traffic control tower on Wednesday night was at a normal level," according to an anonymous source.
According to the AP, Trump also forced out the head of the Transportation Security Administration and gutted a key aviation safety advisory committee following his inauguration. A series of firings and resignations in early 2025 left the FAA leadership dotted with vacancies.
In sum, there is no evidence Trump specifically fired 3,000 air traffic controllers. The cause of the fatal collision in Washington is still unclear, and we will update this story if we receive new information.