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U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) faced intense scrutiny for suggesting on Thursday that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives could have played a role in the deadly plane crash in Washington, D.C on Wednesday night.

A Black Hawk helicopter was involved in a mid-air collision with an American Airlines passenger plane near Ronald Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River, and 67 people are feared dead — 64 people aboard the airliner and three people in the helicopter.

Appearing on Fox Business the morning after, Ogles wondered if DEI initiatives — which critics believe prioritize diversity over merit — were to blame for the crash.

“Obviously, we’ll look at everything, check all the boxes,” Ogles said on Mornings with Maria. “You know, I had just taken off from D.C. before the crash, and, of course, it came across my cell phone and I saw [and] it was horrified; so prayers go out to all those impacted. But, you know, to your point, I think you have to

look at this with eyes wide open, see what happened. You know, human error — was it some sort of equipment failure? Did DEI play a role in this type of thing? So, I think you look at it, you go into it with, again, eyes wide open and make sure that something like this never happens. It’s been a number of years since we’ve had an aircraft collision such as this; and so, again, prayers for all those impacted.”

The mention of DEI was met with harsh criticism online.

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Tags: Andy Ogles, DC Plane Crash, DEI, Plane Crash