Political bickering started after the tragic collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines plane, killing all the passengers of the ill-fated aircraft.
President Trump has already blamed the DEI, or the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hiring guidelines of the Obama and Biden governments, for the tragedy.
The internet was also rife with rumours that the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter was a transgender individual named Jo Ellis.
Trans Black Hawk Pilot Jo Ellis Wrongly Accused in Crash Responds
However, the rumours were soon debunked by none other than Ellis, who posted a video stating that she was not piloting the ill-fated Black Hawk helicopter.
She also condemned the misinformation being spread on social media and the internet.
Prima facie, it seems that the Army helicopter was at fault for the tragic collision, but the picture will be clearer once the detailed results of the investigation are out.
President Trump has already announced that transgender individuals will not serve in the military, and the latest rumours could be the handiwork of elements who adhere to Trump’s views. Jo Ellis, in her clarification, stated that she is indeed a trained Black Hawk helicopter pilot, is alive and was not flying the ill-fated helicopter.
The full statement of Jo Ellis is as follows:
“Interesting morning. This is Jo Ellis. I am a Black Hawk pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard. I understand some people have associated me with the crash in DC, and that is false. It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some kind of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.”
She also added that casualty notifications are handled by the DoD and that it has confirmed no Virginia National Guard personnel were involved in the Black Hawk collision.
Jo Ellis’ social media posts were under intense scrutiny, and it was noticed that she had made many negative statements against Trump. A day before the tragic air collision, Jo Ellis appeared on the Michael Smerconish podcast, where she expressed her anger at Trump’s proposal to bar transgender individuals from serving in the military. She also called the move a direct threat to a career in the military.
However, this did not stop social media users from posting caustic comments on different platforms. One social media user even asked if the crash was another terror attack by the transgender community.
Jo Ellis is serving as a Chief Warrant Officer and Black Hawk helicopter pilot. She serves in the military part-time and works as an IT engineer in the private sector. She has served for 15 years in the Virginia National Guard and has also been deployed in combat zones such as Iraq.
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