During his Thursday press conference about the deadly Wednesday collision between a passenger jet and military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested there was a link between the tragedy and diversity hiring policies at the Federal Aviation Administration.

Large volumes pose challenges to air traffic control, which has faced severe staffing shortages for years, according to experts.

Research company Enigma Labs said it has tallied 650 sightings nationally described as drone-related since November, with most concentrated in the Northeast.

A bombshell report revealed that the control tower where pilots were receiving instructions from was understaffed before the plane crash in Washington, DC.

A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., sending the two aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River.

In a statement, President Trump said the drone flights that had gripped New Jersey were not enemy or foreign crafts.

The unexplained, SUV-sized drones that caused a stir flying over the areas in the Northeast in November and December have returned. As of Sunday, Jan. 25.

The White House released new information Tuesday on the mysterious drones seen across New Jersey skies late last year, but one state congressman isn't satisfied with their answers.

President Donald Trump quickly politicized the air collision between an American Airlines Group Inc. regional jet and a military helicopter, blaming diversity, equity and inclusion programs for the most deadly US commercial airline accident in over a decade.

President Trump emphasized the need for “brilliant people” in air traffic positions while suggesting that DEI hiring practices might have been to blame for the deadly mid-air collision.

Without evidence, Trump blamed air traffic controllers, the helicopter pilots and Democratic policies at federal agencies for Wednesday night's collision.