Just hours before a deadly midair collision outside Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night, political science professor Thomas Schaller posted a chilling prediction about the dangers of air traffic controller shortages and the likelihood that President Donald Trump's supporters would falsely blame diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives for any aviation mishaps.
An FAA report has since confirmed that the control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was understaffed at the time of the crash, leaving only one controller to manage air traffic instead of the standard two. The collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter left 67 people dead with no survivors.
