Senator Lisa Murkowski ripped President Donald Trump’s comments blaming disability and diversity hires for the deadly American Airlines-helicopter crash.
The Alaska Republican’s attack come after Trump blamed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices for the crash near Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people. Specifically, the president criticized the Federal Aviation Administration’s recruitment program for people with intellectual disabilities.
Murkowski told The Independent that she felt awful for the families and everyone involved.
“I don’t know about you, but when I saw the news of the crash last night and just waking up this morning and watching the briefing, your heart just goes out – not only to the families who lost loved ones, but to everybody who was part of that,” she said.
“Think about just the heartache of all of this,” she said. “So to to see a statement like that, where, without full information about what happened, other than a massive casualty, to suggest that it was … to be blamed because of the diversity hires, I think, does not project the level of empathy that we need to show for those who lost their loved ones.”
Murkowski occasionally criticized Trump. Last week, she voted against confirming former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth to become Secretary of Defense.
Earlier this week, she also came out in opposition to Trump’s plot to acquire Greenland.
Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that he thought that Trump’s remarks were premature.
“I’d have to see if the evidence is substantiated,” he told The Independent. “It seems a bit early to me when I think that statement was made before we even have a flight data recorder.”