Trump Administration Launches $2 Million Probe Into DEI’s Role in Aviation Safety

The Trump administration has authorized a $2.1 million investigation into whether diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies are linked to recent aviation safety incidents, including the deadly January plane crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

According to The Atlantic, the Department of Transportation (DOT) hired high-profile attorney Alex Spiro, known for representing Elon Musk, to lead the review. A confidential “scope of work” document reviewed by the AP outlines the cost breakdown: interviews with stakeholders ($150,000), statistical analysis ($100,000), and legal review ($1.8 million). The final cost could rise if the investigation extends beyond its initial three-week window, with extra interviews billed at up to $15,000 each.

President Donald Trump blamed DEI programs for the Jan. 29 crash, which killed 67 people. FAA officials reportedly did not take the claim seriously, but DOT leadership moved forward with the probe.

Critics inside the FAA call the investigation a political distraction. “That’s $2 million that could’ve gone to raises or fixing radar outages,” one controller said. Another called the probe a “waste of money,” pointing instead to staff shortages and burnout as greater threats to safety.

The investigation is occurring as the FAA struggles to hire and retain air-traffic controllers. An earlier effort to diversify the applicant pool through a biographical questionnaire was scrapped by Congress in 2018. FAA hiring still involves rigorous training and peer certification. “No one unqualified makes it through,” a controller told the AP.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, confirmed the day before the crash, issued a directive eliminating Biden-era DEI and environmental initiatives. In a Fox interview, he echoed Trump’s comments, saying, “You can’t focus on DEI when hiring air-traffic controllers. You focus on the best and the brightest.”

DOT spokesperson Nate Sizemore defended the investigation, saying, “There is no price on safety.”

The report, led by Spiro’s team at Quinn Emanuel, is expected to conclude soon. It is not expected to link DEI policies to the Reagan Airport crash or other recent incidents.