Trans Black Hawk pilot forced to respond after she's falsely identified as D.C. crash captain
The IndependentThe latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A transgender helicopter pilot was forced to respond after she was falsely identified as the captain of the Black Hawk that crashed in Washington, D.C. Jo Ellis has served in the Virginia National Guard for 15 years and on Friday found herself the subject of thousands of false social media posts claiming that she was the third crew member aboard the helicopter that collided with the passenger jet, carrying 64 people. One of them which had been reposted many times said that Ellis “has been making radicalized anti-Trump statements on socials.” President Donald Trump and Republicans blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for the deadly Wednesday night plane crash between the military helicopter and a commercial jet near Ronald Reagan National Airport. open image in gallery The Black Hawk wreckage in the Potomac River after the deadly crash in Washington, D.C. As a result, the false social media posts about Ellis attempted to tie her transgender identity to the crash. It’s insulting to the victims and families of those lost and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.” open image in gallery Donald Trump holds a press conference in response to the fatal collision of a passenger airplane and a U.S. military helicopter at the White House in Washington At a White House briefing on Thursday, when pressed about his claim DEI was responsible for the crash, Trump responded: “It just could have been.” He added that he reached the conclusion because “I have common sense.” Trump also claimed without evidence that the Biden and Obama administrations had lowered aviation hiring standards.
History of this topic
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