In late January, a U.S. Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger plane over the Potomac River. The FAA is under scrutiny for negligence due to leadership vacancies. Former FAA head Mike Whitaker resigned early, leaving a leadership gap. Elon Musk has been involved in selecting the new FAA head. President Biden signed a bipartisan bill to invest in air travel safety. Trump administration did not address FAA leadership issues. Musk criticized the FAA and advocated for reform. Trump made baseless claims about the incident being due to “diversity hiring.” Former Secretary Buttigieg called for leadership accountability.


