'Despicable': Pete Buttigieg lashes out at Trump for comments about ...

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Pete Buttigieg was less than thrilled when President Donald Trump called him out during a news conference Thursday, which was the day after 67 people were killed when a plane and military helicopter collided mid-air in Washington, D.C.

The president described Buttigieg's efforts during his tenure as the U.S. secretary of transportation as "bulls---." He also said Buttigieg ran the agency "into the ground."

Buttigieg quickly lashed out on social media, saying Trump's comments were "despicable" and made at an inappropriate occasion.

"As families grieve, Trump should be leading, not lying. We put safety first, drove down close calls, grew Air Traffic Control, and had zero commercial airline crash fatalities out of millions of flights on our watch," Buttigieg wrote on X.

"President Trump now oversees the military and the FAA. One of his first acts was to fire and suspend some of the key personnel who helped keep our skies safe. Time for the President to show actual leadership and explain what he will do to prevent this from happening again," he added.

Just hours after the conference, Trump issued a memo directing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols during the last four years as investigators continue to look into the collision.

The memo directs the FAA administrator, which is currently without a permanent nominee, and the transportation secretary to carry out “systematic assessment of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the Biden Administration.”

He also signed an order appointing Christopher Rocheleau as acting FAA administrator.

During the conference, the president didn't mince words as he blamed the deadly crash on Democrats.

Aside from Buttigieg, Trump criticized former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, as well as previous diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives within the FAA and the Department of Transportation (DOT). He said they should have been more focused on hiring the best people for jobs -- such as air traffic controllers.

"Brilliant people have to be in those positions," he said.

He added that he had "a very good policy" in place after Obama left office, but then Biden changed it.

"I changed the Obama standards from very mediocre at best to extraordinary. Only the highest aptitude. They have to be the highest intellect and psychological aptitude that were allowed to be qualified for air traffic controllers," Trump said.

“My original order should never have been changed and I think maybe this could have been avoided -- maybe,” he added.

Trump confirmed there were no survivors following the deadly crash, which occurred Wednesday night near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

There were 60 passengers and four crewmembers aboard the plane, as well as three people on the helicopter. He said the rescue operation has now shifted to a recovery effort.

Our hearts are shattered alongside yours," Trump said.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.