Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls the deadly aircraft collision involving a Black Hawk and a civilian airliner "a tragedy" in a statement obtained exclusively by Fox News.

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Before holding a moment of silence for the deceased, Trump bashed the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), highlighting a memo that said the agency was “too white” during the Obama administration.

In his first news conference since the aircraft collision over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump on Thursday implied that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause, although an investigation has only just begun into the fatal disaster.

GOP lawmakers were caught off guard by the president’s remarks Thursday about the deadly collision …{beacon} Evening Report TRUMP FIRST 100 DAYS © Jacquelyn Martin, Associated

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion that includes the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly crash near Ronald Reagan National Airport has been granted a 48-hour operational pause.

"It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing an annual required night evaluation,” the defense secretary said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that “there was some sort of elevation issue” with the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided in mid-air with a passenger airliner Wednesday night over the Potomac River that is now being investigated.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the helicopter that crashed into flight 5342 was retraining a continuity of government mission. Here's what that means.

US Capitol Police arrested an unhinged man with knives and Molotov cocktails who allegedly intended to murder House Speaker Mike Johnson as well as Trump cabinet appointees Pete Hegseth and Scott

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

Donald Trump’s administration—including Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy—rushed up to the podium to flatter the president after he used a press conference on the deadly D.C. plane crash to blame diversity hires.