Kelly Magsamen, the previous chief of employees to Joe Biden’s Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin, nastily attacked President Trump’s Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth with a false accusation over his dealing with of the U.S. Military Black Hawk helicopter mid-air collision with a passenger jet on remaining strategy to Reagan Nationwide Airport over the Potomac River close to Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening. All three crew members on the Black Hawk and all sixty-four passengers and crew on the PSA/American Airways flight have been killed within the collision.
Magsamen, who helped Austin cover-up his absence from the Pentagon throughout a well being disaster in January 2024, attacked Hegseth for his feedback about DEI, falsely accusing him of blaming the feminine co-pilot, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, for the crash.
Fox Information Pentagon reporter Jennifer Griffin reported Magsamen’s feedback in an unique posted to X (excerpt):
Unique to Fox Information:
Kelly Magsamen, former chief of employees to Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, condemns Protection Secretary Hegseth’s dealing with of the Blackhawk crash aftermath and his suggestion that DEI was responsible after Capt Rebecca Lobach was recognized as co-pilot.
“Secretary Hegseth has so much to be taught. If you converse because the Secretary of Protection, your entire power and their households are listening. They need to him for management and assist, not suspicion. For him to indicate that this pilot was not certified due to her gender is absurd.
…That is the primary disaster he has needed to handle and to date it’s not a great signal.”
Unique to Fox Information:
Kelly Magsamen, former chief of employees to Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, condemns Protection Secretary Hegseth’s dealing with of the Blackhawk crash aftermath and his suggestion that DEI was responsible after Capt Rebecca Lobach was recognized as co-pilot.…— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 1, 2025
Hegseth has not blamed DEI for the crash. In a video assertion posted Thursday morning, Hegseth described the crew members as “pretty skilled”.
Replace on Guantanamo Bay Operations and @SecDef Hegseth Addresses Tragic Mishap Involving US Military Helicopter pic.twitter.com/80J5djB4oP
— Division of Protection (@DeptofDefense) January 30, 2025
Afterward Thursday, Hegseth appeared on the White Home with President Trump within the briefing room to talk with reporters concerning the crash. Hegseth spoke about DEI in broad phrases in response to feedback by Trump and Secretary of the Treasury Sean Duffy, however didn’t blame the crash on DEI.
VIDEO: @SecDef Hegseth joins President Trump on the White Home for a press briefing on the aviation catastrophe pic.twitter.com/v2kY8W1wmt
— Division of Protection (@DeptofDefense) January 30, 2025
In feedback to Fox and Buddies Friday morning, Hegseth once more spoke out in assist of Trump’s coverage to get rid of DEI and change it with merit-based personnel requirements however didn’t blame the crash on DEI.
When lives are on the road, you higher have the “HIGHEST POSSIBLE STANDARD,” says @SecDef @PeteHegseth.
“Within the enterprise of warfighting, which the @DeptofDefense is in, if you do not have the BEST OF THE BEST, you lose folks — and that is why that is so vital.” pic.twitter.com/cPNkjzmSkw
— Fast Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 31, 2025
Full interview:
Libs of TikTok slammed Magnasen for her baseless assault on Hegseth, “Lloyd Austin’s Chief of employees Kelly Magsamen is attacking Pete Hegseth for his dealing with of the helicopter crash. Kelly coated up for Austin when he was secretly hospitalized. She additionally helped him oversee the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal which left 13 U.S. army members useless. She shouldn’t be taken critically.”
Lloyd Austin’s Chief of employees Kelly Magsamen is attacking Pete Hegseth for his dealing with of the helicopter crash.
Kelly coated up for Austin when he was secretly hospitalized. She additionally helped him oversee the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal which left 13 U.S. army members… https://t.co/rdphGhd6qf pic.twitter.com/sVSD31ps5X
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 2, 2025