Hero Pilot 'Sully' Was Asked About Trump Blaming DC Crash On 'DEI'—And His Reaction Says It All

Retired pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger—best known for the "Miracle on the Hudson" that saved the lives of all 155 passengers aboard US Airways Flight 1549—had a blunt reaction when asked on MSNBC about President Donald Trump blaming "DEI" for the tragic DC plane collision.

Salvage crews began clearing wreckage from the Potomac River on Monday after the tragic collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, which claimed 67 lives—the deadliest air disaster in over 20 years.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the operation, prioritizing the retrieval of the passenger jet before addressing the helicopter and its scattered debris. Officials emphasized that several victims' remains are still inside the aircraft and that ensuring their "dignified" removal is of utmost importance.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Trump came under fire for baseless claims he made during the same press briefing about "diversity" initiatives within the FAA bearing responsibility for the crash.

There is no indication or evidence whatsoever that diversity efforts within the federal workforce have impacted air safety; nonetheless, Trump said the FAA "is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, mental problems, and other mental and physical conditions under diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives spelled out on the agency's website."

When asked by MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell about Trump's remarks—noting that he didn't necessarily want to draw Sullenberger "into politics"—Sullenberger paused for several seconds before responding:

“Not surprised. Disgusted."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Many concurred.

During the same interview, Sullenberger told O'Donnell he was "devastated" when he heard the news of the crash:

"It hit me deeply, intensely. The loss of those lives, those precious lives. I can imagine the families of those who are lost and the grief they must feel and they're looking for some reason, some explanation that as yet is not available to us."

He added that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) "will follow the truth, they will follow the facts wherever they lead and we can have great confidence that the results will be found, they will be made public and as we always do after such a tragedy, the entire industry will learn these terrible lessons that we learned at great cost."