The devastating midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which claimed the lives of figure skaters, coaches, and their families, has left the entire figure skating community in mourning. The American Eagle Flight 5342 crash, which resulted in no survivors, has now become the center of political blame and misinformation, as former President Donald Trump has chosen to blame Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the tragedy.
The absurdity of this claim is beyond infuriating, especially considering Trump’s own role in weakening aviation safety during his presidency. His firing of key officials—including the heads of the TSA and the Coast Guard—along with his gutting of critical aviation safety committees, contributed to an environment where preventable disasters became more likely. Instead of acknowledging policy failures and reckless decision-making, Trump has chosen to deflect blame onto an irrelevant scapegoat—one that has absolutely nothing to do with the safety of air travel.
What makes this even more sickening is that 19+ lives were lost, including skaters, coaches, and parents who had dedicated their lives to the sport. Among those killed were Maxim Naumov’s parents, both of whom were World champions and Olympians. Many young skaters were returning from developmental camp and Nationals, filled with excitement for their futures—only to have those futures stolen in an instant.
Rather than addressing the systemic failures that led to this accident, Trump and his allies have resorted to wild speculation and political fear-mongering. Col. Cedric Leighton, speaking on CNN, made the deeply insensitive remark that, “Luckily, there were no VIPs onboard the aircraft.” This callous statement disregards the immense loss suffered by the figure skating community, their families, and the sport as a whole. To suggest that these highly accomplished skaters, coaches, and their loved ones were somehow less significant because they weren’t classified as “VIPs” is both offensive and dehumanizing.
This horrific tragedy should be a moment for reflection, accountability, and grief, not political manipulation and cheap scapegoating. Aviation safety is not a partisan issue—it is a matter of lives being at stake. The loss of these skaters, their families, and their coaches should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers to prioritize air travel safety, reinstate critical oversight committees, and ensure that such a preventable disaster never happens again.
The figure skating world has been left shattered by this loss, and instead of respect and support, they are now being used as political props in a disingenuous narrative designed to distract from real policy failures. The skating community deserves honest answers, not deflection and misinformation.
The families of the victims and the entire skating community are grieving. They deserve truth, accountability, and respect—not a political circus. This tragedy should not be exploited for personal agendas, especially by those who dismantled the very safety measures that could have prevented it.
For those who lost loved ones, the pain is unbearable. For those watching from the sidelines, it’s clear: the only thing more tragic than this loss is the shameless attempt to twist it into a political weapon.
