With 42 years of flight experience, Rep. Kevin Hern joined Joe Pags to provide expert analysis on the recent DC mid-air collision, shedding light on what may have gone wrong and whether air traffic control staffing played a role. He also discussed the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies in aviation, the effectiveness of Trump’s tariffs, and the administration’s push for strong economic leverage.
Hern explained that airspace around Reagan National Airport is heavily congested, requiring helicopters and other aircraft to follow strict flight paths. Despite this, he emphasized that something went “very, very wrong” in this case. He noted that the American Airlines pilot did not correctly repeat back instructions from air traffic control, and the controller failed to correct him—an issue Hern found surprising given his experience as a pilot. Additionally, Hern pointed out that the Blackhawk helicopter was higher than initially reported, increasing the likelihood that the pilots involved were looking at the wrong aircraft. “It is just a perfect storm of horrible things that led to this,” Hern said.
Addressing concerns over staffing issues at air traffic control towers, Hern acknowledged that Reagan National had gone down to one controller earlier than usual, which may have contributed to the crash. However, he dismissed concerns about a single controller handling both military and commercial aircraft communications, explaining that this situation is common in aviation.
On the topic of DEI policies in hiring, Hern cautioned that prioritizing identity over merit in high-stakes jobs, like air traffic control, is dangerous. He pointed to past lawsuits alleging that the Obama administration rejected qualified applicants in favor of diversity quotas. “Anytime you take merit out of way of hiring people and you have to hire based on color or creed or where you came from, that’s a problem in any job—especially in a high-stress environment like the DC Tower at Reagan International,” Hern stated.
The conversation then shifted to President Trump’s newly signed tariffs, with Hern defending the move as a necessary leverage tool against countries like Canada, Mexico, and China. He explained that these economic pressures have already forced companies to relocate to the U.S. and prompted Mexico to deploy 10,000 troops to secure its border.
Wrapping up the discussion, Hern also touched on Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ controversial comments about “fighting in the streets” against Trump’s policies, criticizing the left’s hypocrisy on political violence. “These words don’t go unheard” Hern stated. He urged Republicans to push back on such rhetoric while focusing on securing America’s borders and economy.
From aviation safety to economic policy, Hern’s insights provided a deep dive into some of the nation’s most pressing issues. With Trump’s second term in full swing, these debates over policy, safety, and governance are only set to intensify.