American leaders are calling for prayers in the wake of a deadly plane crash above Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. An American Airlines jet carrying a reported 60 passengers and four crew collided with a U.S. Army helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport before 9 p.m. local time. The plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas, reportedly crashed into the Potomac River. While search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, authorities report that 28 bodies have been recovered but anticipate that nobody survived the crash.

Following the news, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “What a terrible night this has been. God bless you all!” He continued to say that the “bad situation … should have been prevented.” Based on initial reports, he observed, “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time.” Trump asked, “It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn. Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane.”

Vice President J.D. Vance also issued a statement via social media, requesting prayers for the victims of the crash. “Please say a prayer for everyone involved in the mid-air collision near Reagan airport this evening. We’re monitoring the situation, but for now let’s hope for the best,” he posted to X. Kansas Senator Roger Marshall (R) also asked for prayers. “Pray for Kansas. Pray for the passengers, pilots, the first responders, rescue crews, and their families,” he said in an X post.

In a press conference Thursday morning, Trump requested “a moment of silence for the victims and their families, please.” After a sober pause, he said, “I speak to you this morning in an hour of anguish for our country.” Trump praised first responders for the “phenomenal job” they did carrying out search and rescue operations over the course of Wednesday night and Thursday morning. He confirmed, “Sadly, there are no survivors.” Trump continued, “This was a dark and excruciating night in our nation’s capital and in our nation’s history and a tragedy of terrible proportions. As one nation, we grieve for every precious soul that has been taken from us so suddenly. And we are a country of — really, we are in mourning.”

“On behalf of the First Lady, myself, and 340 million Americans, our hearts are shattered alongside yours and our prayers are with you now and in the days to come, we’ll be working very, very diligently in the days to come,” he went on. “In moments like this, the differences between Americans fade to nothing compared to the bonds of affection and loyalty that unite us all,” Trump added. He continued, “Together, we take solace in the knowledge that [the victims’] journey ended not in the cold waters of the Potomac but in the warm embrace of a loving God.”

While he admitted that investigations are still being conducted regarding the cause of the crash, Trump said that he has some “very strong opinions and ideas” as to the cause. Trump explained that one contributing factor was the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) standards at play in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in hiring air traffic controllers. “I put safety first. Obama, Biden, and the Democrats put [woke] policy first,” he commented. He added, “We have to have our smartest people. It doesn’t matter what they look like, how they speak, what matters is intellect, talent.”

Vance also spoke and “reemphasized” Trump’s note regarding DEI standards. “When you don’t have the best standards of who you’re hiring, it means, on the one hand, you’re not getting the best people in government but, on the other hand, it puts stresses on the people who are already there,” the vice president observed. He continued, “We want to hire the best people because we want the best people at air traffic control, and we want to make sure that we have enough people at air traffic control who are actually competent to do the job.”

Newly-confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he has launched an investigation involving the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the FAA. Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced investigations into the crash, involving the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the Army. “Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families,” he said in a social media post.

Hegseth later confirmed that the Army helicopter involved in the crash was performing “an annual proficiency training flight” but noted that the helicopter was being operated by “a fairly experienced crew” who were outfitted with night-vision goggles. “It’s a tragedy, a horrible loss of life for those 64 souls on that civilian airliner and, of course, the three soldiers in that Black Hawk. They’re in our prayers, their families, and their communities, as people are notified — I can’t imagine,” he said. He somberly added, “It’s gone from a rescue mission to a recovery mission.”

During his press conference, Trump pledged accountability and transparency concerning the results of all investigations. He noted that it is sometimes “years” before the government releases the results of investigations but anticipated sharing conclusions with the American public soon.