A retired pilot condemned president Donald Trump's comments about the midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and U.S. Army helicopter. The president opened his White House briefing Thursday with a moment of silence and a brief prayer before launching an attack against diversity hiring and Democratic officials.

An American Airlines plane carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter outside Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. Wednesday night. A D.C. fire official said Thursday that “we don't think there are any survivors from this accident" and "we are switching from a rescue operation to a recovery operation.