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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Recovery Effort Under Way In Deadly In-flight Collision; Without Evidence, Trump Blames DEI For Deadly Collision; Source Says One Air Traffic Controller Was Working Two Different Tower Positions At Time Of Collision. Aired 5-6:00p ET

Aired January 30, 2025 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[17:00:12]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: And welcome back to The Lead. I am Jake Tapper. We're going to start this hour with breaking news in what is the deadliest in flight collision in the United States. More than 23 years we're live at Ronald Reagan national airport just outside D.C. where this horrific tragedy took place.

Not too far behind me is of course, the freezing Potomac River, which is now the crash investigation site after last night's incident between an American Airlines plane flying from Wichita, Kansas, and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter. They collided last night. Not one of the 64 people on board the airplane nor the three U.S. soldiers on the helicopter survived. The focus right now is on from emergency officials find the victims and recover their bodies, their remains. So far, at least 28 remains, 28 bodies have been found as crews continue to search through the twisted metal in the frigid waters of the Potomac River behind me. Today, National Transportation Safety Board officials said they have not yet recovered the flight data recorders, noting that the investigation is going to, of course, take time.

Meanwhile, a source tells CNN that one air traffic controller working last night was working two different tower positions at the same time at the time of the collision. All this as many victims families are arriving here at the crash site getting confirmation that their loved ones are no longer with us. CNN's Danny Freeman is with me.

And Danny, tell us how the crash unfolded in this grim recovery operation underway.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, and that's really been the big focus of today, that grim recovery operation. There was hope. People were holding out hope certainly in those early hours that there would be survivors, someone that they could pull from the water behind us. But in the end this morning we learned that that was not the case and now it is a recovery mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREEMAN (voice-over): Skew turned into recovery today as first responders worked to find the 67 people presumed killed in Wednesday's horrific airline crash. This as a massive investigation is now underway led by the National Transportation Safety Board to figure out how this deadly collision could have happened.

JENNIFER HOMENDY, NTSB CHAIRWOMAN: We're here to assure the American people that we are going to leave no stone unturned in this investigation.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Airline and military officials saying Thursday the pilots of both the passenger plane and the military helicopter were experienced and these both should have been routine flights.

HOMENDY: As part of any investigation, we look at the human, the machine and the environment. So we will look at all the humans that were involved in this accident. Again, we will look at the aircraft, we will look at the helicopter, we will look at the environment in which they were operating in. That is part of -- that is standard in any part of our investigation.

FREEMAN (voice-over): American Eagle Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, Kansas at 5:18 Wednesday afternoon without issue. The CRJ regional jet operated by PSA Airlines directed to land at Washington's Reagan National Airport, which Runway 33.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Runway 33, cleared to land.

FREEMAN (voice-over): At the same time, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, call sign PAT25, was flying over the Potomac on a routine training mission. The control tower told the helicopter to pass behind the jet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pat 25, do you have the CRJ in sight?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pat 25, pass behind the CRJ.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pat 25 has aircraft in sight, request visual separation.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Yet despite the Black Hawk pilot acknowledging the plane ahead, just before 8:50 p.m. the two collided in midair, resulting in a fireball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crash, crash, crash. This is alert three.

ABADI ISMAIL, PLANE CRASH WITNESS: So it was somewhere around 8:50 p.m. I was in my living room when I hear two bang, bang around 8:50 p.m. It was loud. It was unusual. It was something you only hear on video games, on movies, something I have never experienced.

FREEMAN (voice-over): Though hundreds of first responders worked through the night to find survivors in the icy Potomac, by Thursday morning, officials concluded no one could be rescued. Dozens of bodies have already been recovered from the water. Among the 67 lives presumed lost, figure skaters, coaches, steamfitter union members, U.S. Army soldiers, all taken too soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE) TAPPER: Thanks to Danny Freeman for that report.

Leaders of Kansas, the governor and mayor of Wichita are speaking right now about the crash. Let's listen in.

MAYOR LILY WU, WICHITA, KANSAS: Wichita, Kansas is the air capital. It's a community built on kindness, built on being together and working together. And we have an opportunity to use our words for comfort. We can use our actions towards helping and uplifting one another. And here in our community, we unite.

[17:05:05]

And you saw that in our community wide prayer at noon today. You saw faiths from all across the spectrum. You saw people of all races, of all backgrounds, because Wichita is very diverse. And I'm proud to come from this community. This is my community.

I've grown up here, and I'm proud to be a Wichitan. And I'm proud that this community is coming together in a time like this, in a tragic event that should unite us all to remember that life is precious. So at this time, I would like to invite Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to provide remarks.

GOV. LAURA KELLY, (D) KANSAS: Well, thank you, Mayor. And good afternoon, everybody. I really do appreciate all of your being here.

It is very important that the people who have been affected by this tragedy know that they've got folks on the ground working on their behalf. I have been incredibly impressed with the response of the mayor's office. Our first responders here, the Red Cross and a number of other nonprofit groups that have really gathered together to be as responsive as is humanly possible to meet the needs of those who have been impacted by this incredible tragedy.

I'd also like to reassure people that we are in constant communication with our federal partners. Both the mayor and I have been on the phone constantly since last night with representatives from the National Transportation Safety Board, from the governors of Virginia and Maryland, and all sorts of other folks who are involved with this tragedy. And I can assure you that they are working as hard and as fast as they possibly can. I mean, they had first responders from multiple jurisdictions respond last night, all through the night, first for the rescue and then for the recovery operation. So, what can be done is being done.

I know that the Red Cross has set up a center in Bethesda, Maryland, I believe, at the Hyatt Regency for folks who are on that end of this tragedy. And that we have the Red Cross set up here at Eisenhower Terminal. So, there are resources available for people.

The other thing we would like is American Airlines is responsible for notifying the families of the folks who perished in this plane crash. They would like it very much. If you think you might know somebody, if you might -- if you think a friend of yours, a family member or someone else was on that plane, please contact American Airlines and let me give you their number. It is 1-800-679-8215. Let me repeat that, 800-679-8215.

If you have any suspicion that you knew somebody on that plane, please, please call that number. And I'd also like to thank the press for being here in such force. You know, you are the way we are able to communicate with people and to reassure them that people have their backs and are on the watch and that there are resources available for them. So thank you all very much for being here.

WU: Thank you again, Governor Kelly. Really appreciate again that constant communication we've received from the governor's office as well as the offices of our federal partners, including Senator Moran, Senator Marshall, Congressman Estes. And I also had a phone call from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

So I'm again very appreciative that people are reaching out. My colleagues as mayors all across the United States have been in constant contact with me, friends that just know or have flown to Wichita, have visited this community, have been sending well wishes and prayers to all of us. And I'm very grateful that people are reaching out to all of us. But I ask that each of those prayers really go to the individuals who were on that flight, to the families who were on that flight, to the first responders in Washington, D.C. who are helping with the recovery efforts and truly prayers for our entire greater Wichita and Kansas community.

[17:10:07]

I would like to invite our representative for Senator Roger Marshall to please say a few words.

KENYA COX, DISTRICT DIRECTOR FOR SENATOR ROGER MARSHALL: Good afternoon. I'm Kenya Cox, district director for U.S. Senator Marshall. Senator Marshall is continuing to work with his -- with our federal delegation to provide real time information to both our state and local leadership as it becomes available.

Senator Marshall issued the following statement this afternoon. As we continue to process this horrible tragedy, my office stands ready --

TAPPER: You've been listening to a press conference from Wichita, Kansas. The governor of Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly, and the mayor of Wichita, Mayor Lily Wu, giving what information they can offer. Very little to go by right now on this horrific crash. The American Airlines flight involved here took off from Wichita for Washington, D.C. last night.

Let's bring in Daniel Elwell right now. He served as acting FAA administrator in President Trump's first administration.

Daniel, thanks for joining us. A source tells CNN that there was one air traffic controller working two different tower positions at the time of the collision last night. One person handling both local and helicopter traffic. What do you make of that information? We're told it's not that unusual, although obviously not optimal.

DANIEL ELWELL, FORMER ACTING FAA DIRECTOR: Well, Jake, thanks for having me. No, it's not that unusual to have one person doing two stations, especially when the traffic load is not high. And my understanding is at that time it wasn't particularly high traffic time, so it's not abnormal.

TAPPER: So the Reagan National control tower is 85 percent staffed, we're told with 24 of 28 positions filled. We know that there is an air traffic control shortage partly exacerbated by COVID. On average, how does that staffing, 24 out of 28, compare to staffing at other towers of busy airports?

ELWELL: Well, controller staffing is actually not as easy to calculate as it may seem because there's always a mix in any facility between trainees, fully trained, and in training. So depending on what you count as a controller, I always liked to talk to my folks about how many controls were actually controlling versus teaching or versus in the beginning stages. So on average, I think 85 percent is a fair count. Some facilities are not as fully manned as others, but it's -- it is an issue. We do -- we certainly need more controllers.

TAPPER: President Trump blamed the accident on DEI policies. As far as we can tell at CNN, the DEI policies trying to diversify the FAA workplace that was introduced. It's on the website, was put there in 2013, continued through the first Trump administration up until -- it might have been taken down today, but it was there a few hours ago. Is there any evidence that DEI hiring policies had anything to do with this crash, as far as you know?

ELWELL: I would have no way of knowing. I had no idea who was in the tower. And I watched the -- I watched the president's comments today. And I recall, I'm not saying that it was that (ph) reason, but I think he intimated that it would be one of the things that would be looked at.

TAPPER: Well, obviously everything should be looked at, but I haven't heard of any evidence of it, but. Daniel Elwell, we appreciate your time today. Thank you so much.

The Potomac River separates Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Crews have been in this frigid river all day searching for any remains they can find. The difficulties these teams are running into nearly 20 hours after this crash. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:18:49]

TAPPER: Welcome back to The Lead. We're following the breaking news. The deadly crash between an American Airlines flight Wichita, Kansas, last night and a military Black Hawk chopper. You're looking live at the scene as investigators continue to search the Potomac River for the remains of the victims. Right now there is an ongoing recovery effort to try to find the victims' bodies.

That effort is taking precedence over finding the black box recorders that could lend more information to investigators as to what happened. Here you see photographs of just how devastating the scene is around Reagan National Airport. There is debris from the crash scattered across the Potomac River, which separates Washington, D.C. and Virginia. NTSB, National Transportation Safety Board investigators, say they will allow first responders to finish their recovery mission before starting their investigation. Those first responders are now braving freezing temperatures here in D.C. after both aircraft careened into the icy Potomac.

CNN Correspondent Brian Todd is live near the search scene.

And Brian, what are you learning about the recovery effort there on the scene?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, John Donnelly, the D.C. Fire and EMS chief has been telling us all day long that the conditions here for this recovery are extremely treacherous for the dive teams. For the other first responders, the conditions are just really hellacious on the river. The river is extremely cold. The temperatures have been in the 30s and 40s in the water. There is jet fuel all over the place, which leads to contamination.

[17:20:15]

Of course, that presents a danger for the divers. The water is very brackish. The visibility is very low. Donnelly also said there are chunks of ice, even though it's been getting warmer over the last few days. There are chunks of ice floating around down there that's making it more dangerous and difficult.

We also talked to another dive specialist who told us that negotiating pieces of a plane underwater to try to find people in it is like coming through a thousand large razor blades because of all the dangers, the divers could get caught in that stuff. They could get their lines cut. It is very, very dangerous.

Another big question tonight, Jake, is the notification of the relatives of the victims and how that is all going. John -- excuse me, Todd Inman from the NTSB told us about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD INMAN, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD MEMBER: We normally try to do this before a media event, but in this case they're still arriving. Our family assistance specialists are already working closely with local officials and others to help assist them in their efforts to support everyone that's affected by this accident. And our heartfelt sorrow goes out to everyone that's affected. It affects us, affects everyone around us. There are a lot of people hurting today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: President Trump also has said he wants to meet with the families of the victims of these crashes, and he plans on doing that fairly soon. But the president has said that he, at this point, does not plan on meeting with the first responders, at least while they're on the ground or in the water trying to conduct their operations. Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Brian. Todd, thanks so much.

I want to bring in Elizabeth McCormick, a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot, and Cedric Leighton, CNN Military Analyst and retired Air Force colonel.

Elizabeth, let me start with you. An army pilot who has flown Black Hawk helicopters like you in this area around Reagan National Airport told CNN's reporter Haley Britzky that the Army's flights are routinely planned down to the tiniest detail. This pilot said that based on the risk, the briefer will approve or disapprove parts of the flight plan. That assessment is then run by the unit's commander, then submitted to the FAA. So if it went through all of those levels, the question, of course, is just how could this have happened?

ELIZABETH MCCORMICK, FORMER BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER PILOT: Well, I believe there's three things that happened. If it had just been one, it wouldn't have been an issue, but three different things happened. First of all, they only had a crew of three. And if you're flying a visual flight plane in a crowded airspace like this, they really should have had two crew chiefs in the back of the helicopter to clear each side, as the pilots only have visibility from straight ahead 12 to 3 o'clock or 12 from 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock. So you only have visibility of the front 180 degrees.

Your crew chiefs clear the back. If you only have one crew chief, how much can you clear? I think that was a major issue. And so as the --

TAPPER: That's interesting --

MCCORMICK: Yes, go ahead.

TAPPER: No, no, keep going. Well, so are you saying instead of a crew of three, it should have been a crew of four? How many people should have been on the helicopter? And then please continue with your other two points.

MCCORMICK: Yes. So three is a minimum crew for a Black Hawk helicopter. In my opinion, when you're going into visual flight mode in a crowded airspace like this, it should be a minimum of four so you have a pilot on each side for visibility. That's the first one.

The second one is, it is whether they were on night vision goggles at that time or not, it is a very cluttered airspace with a lot of lighting and the lights reflecting on the river. And so with that, it's easy to kind of get a little disoriented. As far as the height, they were supposed to be at 200 feet, which is the helicopter routing in that area. And it wouldn't have been a conflict, but they were not at 200 feet. Obviously, the -- reportedly the incident happened at around 350 to 400 feet as the airliner was descending.

So that -- they were at the wrong height. So that's a pilot error. The first would be a policy error or choice. And then the third is air traffic control said, do you have the CRG -- CRJ in sight? Well, there were two aircraft in their field of view and actually only one was really obvious to them. And that was the, if you watch the video, the aircraft taking off in the foreground is probably the one they were facing. The pilots were facing and said, yes, I got it. The air traffic control should have said, do you have the aircraft at 5 o'clock? So they were looking at the rear. If they had done that, the Black Hawk is maneuverable.

The Black Hawk could have moved out of the way quickly. They can move on a dime and make that happen and it wouldn't have happened.

[17:25:01]

TAPPER: Cedric, that's one of the most informed explanations I've heard of what possibly went wrong that I've yet. Thank you so much for that. Do you agree with what she had to say?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, basically I do, Jake. Elizabeth has obviously so a wealth of experience with this. And when you look at the way in which the crews are set up for Black Hawk helicopters, that's a critical thing. You know, you've got the mission planning piece that you mentioned and as Elizabeth was explaining. There are also so many concerns that they have to really look at, including not only the weather and not only air traffic considerations, but also what kind of things they can expect in terms of topographical features and things like that.

And that should be a given. But there are things that change sometimes. Sometimes there's new construction and things like that. And so they have to have as much meticulous planning as possible. And if that planning isn't taken into consideration and isn't done in the right way, then of course there could be significant consequences.

Not saying that that happened here, of course.

TAPPER: Right. We don't know. We're just trying to make informed observations about what possibly happened. Obviously, Elizabeth says that the chopper was supposed -- the Black Hawk was supposed to be at 200 feet and it was actually at 350.

LEIGHTON: Right.

TAPPER: Is that easy? Is that a mistake that's easy to make to be at 350 when you think you're supposed to -- when you think you're at 200 feet?

LEIGHTON: Not normally because the altimeter which measures your altitude is supposed to be calibrated to be exact. And you should never fly an aircraft that doesn't have that kind of an instrument calibrated properly. So that should not happen. If they, you know, for some reason flew at 300 instead of 200, that could be a significant issue. And that could explain why they were flying where they were flying and at what altitude they were flying. So, it is a significant thing that the NTSB is definitely going to have to look at.

TAPPER: All right. Fascinating stuff. Cedric Leighton here and Elizabeth McCormick, thanks to both of you. This crash has been devastating for so many Americans, but in particular, perhaps the figure skating community. In the last hour, we spoke with Brian Boitano. We're also hearing from Nancy Kerrigan. We're going to have more reaction as we learn about more of the victims of this horrific crash. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:31:42]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: We're back in our National Lead. And we're continuing our coverage of the deadly plane collision near Reagan National Airport last night. Among the 67 dead, several members of the U.S. figure skating community, from coaches to young people, teenagers who were on their way back from the U.S. National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas. The flight, the American Airlines flight that collided with the Black Hawk was flying from Wichita. CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Wichita with new details about the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NANCY KERRIGAN, 1994 OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST: We just wanted to be here with each other.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six members of the Skating Club of Boston died Wednesday. Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan came together with the Boston skating community after the unimaginable tragedy.

KERRIGAN: I'm not sure how to process it.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Among the 67 victims of the deadly collision, two teenage figure skaters, Spencer Lane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you please welcome to the ice, Gina Hahn.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): And Gina Hahn.

PAUL GEORGE, NATIONAL CHAMPION FIGURE SKATER & SKATING CLUB OF BOSTON MEMBER: We watched Gina just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13-year-old. And we talk a lot about the athletes, but I think we're going to miss their moms as much. Just really good people.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Their mothers were also on the plane. Along with two coaches from Boston, 1994 World Figure Skating Pairs Champions, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov.

DR. TENLEY ALBRIGHT, SKATING CLUB OF BOSTON/1956 OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST: I really can't believe that it happened because I picture them right here. The coaches always stood at that entrance. The skaters just flew all over the ice doing remarkable things, inspiring all of us.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): They were just a handful of a larger group of skaters on American Eagle Flight 5342. DOUG ZEGHIBE, CEO, SKATING CLUB OF BOSTON: Fourteen skaters returning home from the National Development Camp at Wichita, Kansas put on by U.S. Figure skating were lost in the plane crash.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The Russian couple's son, Maxim, returned home on an earlier flight. Just medaled at the U.S. Men's Figure Skating Championship over the weekend. An eerie silence at the Wichita Ice Center as the magnitude of the loss keeps growing. A mourner left a simple tribute on the bare ice. Wichita's mayor expressed her shock at the tragedy after a jubilant experience for the city watching top performing skaters dazzle on the ice at an intense three-day training program.

MAYOR LILY WU, WICHITA, KANSAS: It was truly an honor to have future Olympians and those who are at the highest competition level of figure skating right here.

ZEGHIBE: This will have long reaching impacts for our skating community.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Tragedy has struck this skating community before, in 1961 when the entire Boston Skating Club's team was killed in a plane crash heading to the World Championships. Other victims in Wednesday's crash over the Potomac River were three U.S. service members aboard the Black Hawk helicopter and four crew members on the plane that left Wichita.

WU: This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C. and Wichita, Kansas forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:35:01]

LAVANDERA: And Jake, several city officials that we spoke with today told us about what a huge deal it was for the city of Wichita to host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships over this past weekend, and then to also host that developmental camp that some of the younger skaters stayed around for in the days after. They talked about the joy and the excitement it has brought to this city to be able to see through future Olympians, Olympic hopefuls, dazzle them right before their eyes. Jake?

TAPPER: So sad. Ed Lavandera in Wichita, thank you so much.

I want to bring in the reigning U.S. champion, American figure skater, Ilia Malinin. He is the son of two Olympic skaters and the only man or woman to land skating's most difficult jump in competition. He was just there in Wichita after winning his third U.S. title. Ilia, I'm sorry that we're speaking under these circumstances. You were just there in Wichita, Ilia, you took the same flight on Monday. I can't imagine what -- what is going through your mind right now.

ILIA MALININ, MEN'S FIGURE SKATING WORLD CHAMPION: Yes, it's definitely just a devastation. It's just so heartbreaking for me just to see fellow athletes and skaters who we're really inspired to become greater and greater, to just go through this tragedy. It's really devastating, and it's still kind of hard to process right now. It's really emotional for me and all of the figure skating community.

TAPPER: And, Ilia, you -- you knew some of the skaters that were lost in the crash. If you could tell us about them, that -- that would -- that would honor their memory.

MALININ: So far, it has not been confirmed who exactly was on the flight, but it's believed that there were fellow club members from my figure skating club who were on that flight. And I really hope the best for their families and wish them the best.

TAPPER: Before this happened, before the tragedy, tell us what it was like in Wichita. Tell us about the mood with -- with all these figure skaters?

MALININ: Yes, I think that based on some of the nationals that I went to, this is one of the most memorable nationals that I went to, the arena and the crowd, it was very energetic, and they were so emotional for all our performances. And just having all of these developmental athletes being able to --

TAPPER: Ilia, what -- what --

MALININ: -- support and then watch us and support a few days later, come to just, you know, do the camp. It was really meaningful to us to push the sport of figure skating.

TAPPER: Ilia, what -- what are you hearing from other skaters? What are you hearing from others in your community?

MALININ: All of us are really devastated. We are so sad, and a lot of us are a loss of worlds -- words that this happened. It's really hard to wrap our minds around. It's --it -- it's just -- it's very hard to process. And it's really devastating for me that we lost all of these great, amazing upcoming skaters.

TAPPER: I know there was a -- there was a big crash with the entire team lost in 1961. And that must be something that you've -- that you've heard about growing up. And now it's almost like you have your own horrific version of it.

MALININ: Yes, it's definitely plane crisis are not the -- the best news to hear. And it's really tragic for everyone who's involved in that flight. So overall, it's just -- it's not a good feeling right now, especially coming from Wichita, which I had a very good time there to hear this news. It's was -- it's very devastating.

TAPPER: Ilia Malinin, thank you so much. Really, really sorry. And -- and our hearts go out to the entire figure skating community. In fact, everybody in Wichita, everybody impacted by this horrific tragedy.

[17:38:58]

Coming up, the puzzling answer from President Trump when asked last hour if he would be visiting the site of this horrific crash, which is behind me. We're also following a very busy day on Capitol Hill just a few miles from here, where we saw more confirmation hearings for some of the most controversial nominees for President Trump's cabinet, including his pick to be director of the FBI, Kash Patel. We want to get to some of that next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: And we're back with a live look over the frigid Potomac River. Nightfall is approaching here in Washington. Crews are continuing their -- their search for the remains of those killed in last night's devastating collision in the sky. We're going to have much more from the site. I do want to take a moment now and discuss politics and our politics three because three -- politics lead because three of President Trump's more controversial Cabinet picks were on Capitol Hill today for various confirmation hearings, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who faced a second round of questions from the Health Committee in his bid to lead Health and Human Services Department. Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard facing questions in her bid to become director of National Intelligence. And Kash Patel, Trump's pick for FBI director, also faced questions. Let's bring in CNN political commentators Ashley Allison and former Trump administration official Matt Mowers.

Let's start with Tulsi Gabbard, guys. Trump's pick to be the head of the director -- to be the director of National Intelligence. A key Republican vote, Senator Susan Collins of Maine says that she has not yet decided whether she's going to vote for Gabbard. But take a listen to part of Gabbard's opening statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TULSI GABBARD, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE NOMINEE: I want to warn the American people who are watching at home, you may hear lies and smears in this hearing that will challenge my loyalty to and my love for our country. The fact is, what truly unsettles my political opponents is I refuse to be their puppet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:45:02]

TAPPER: Ashley, I don't think I've ever heard such a defiant opening statement from a Cabinet nominee before.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well she knows that that is a big question mark by her name whether it was going to Syria, meeting with Assad or pushing Russia propaganda talking points. She is going to have -- she has to answer those questions today. And that is why one of the reasons why Susan Collins is still the question mark. So she tried to get ahead of it. I don't know if it'll work. I don't think Democrats are going to vote for her, but we'll see if she can get any Republics or Democrats be with Republicans to side with them.

TAPPER: Matt, RFK Jr. was back for a second day of questions from a different committee. Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, he's the Republican chairman of -- of the Health Committee. He's a physician himself. He says that he's struggling with the RFK Jr. nomination because of all the anti-science, anti-medical establishment views he has on vaccines and things. I want you to take a listen to what he had to say at the end of today's hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): If there's someone that is not vaccinated because of policies or attitudes you bring to the department and there's another 18-year-old who dies of a vaccine preventable disease, the greatest tragedy will be her death. But I can also tell you an associated tragedy, well, that will cost us -- that will cast a shadow over President Trump's legacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Matt, what do you -- what do you think of that?

MATT MOWERS, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Look, I think ultimately RFK is going to get confirmed. He probably even gets Chairman Cassidy's vote at the end of the day. I mean, look, Senator Cassidy is a doctor. He has -- he's a remarkably bright, intelligent guy committed to public health. I think he's trying to make known that he's got some concerns. But I'd be surprised if ultimately he doesn't go and confirm RFK along with most of the Republicans which is going to allow him to ultimately enter into law leading the HHS here in the next week or so.

You know, I think actually he did as good of a job as he could trying to quiet some of the skeptics, answer some of the criticisms and be able to be direct and push him back against what, you know, some senators might believe he thinks versus what he actually thinks. I mean, the truth is Donald Trump picked him to go be a disruptor at HHS. Just because you question certain type -- questions science doesn't mean you don't believe in science.

An in fact, I think folks would largely agree that we need individuals who are going to ask more questions to ensure that we have the most safe and effective vaccines that actually come out of approval ultimately. And so I think RFK has case crossed that bar to that threshold. And so ultimately he'll get confirmed.

TAPPER: Matt Mowers and Ashley Allison, thanks to both of you.

In our World Lead, after 482 days in Hamas captivity, eight Israeli hostages, or eight Israeli and Thai hostages were released in different parts of Gaza today. Israeli soldier Agam Berger was the first hostage to be released by Hamas today in northern Gaza. The scene however was far more chaotic in southern Gaza where 80-year-old Gadi Moses and 29-year-old Arbel Yehud were released. Five Thai nationals were also released. All of the hostages are now in hospitals receiving treatment after their brutal treatment by the terrorist group Hamas. Those chaotic scenes in southern Gaza have briefly delayed the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners by the government of Israel as part of phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

[17:48:19] We're back in a moment from near the site of last night's crash site and the memories this collision brought back from past disasters and how leaders at the time of this country handled them.

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TAPPER: We're back outside Reagan National Airport with our breaking news coverage of last night's horrific, deadly in flight collision between an American Airlines flight on its way from Wichita and a military helicopter. That collision does bring back some awful memories, January 1982 to be precise. An Air Florida jet taking off in icy conditions stalled and crashed into the Potomac River just north of here, hitting a bridge that's a major traffic corridor in and out of Washington. Seventy passengers and four crew members, as well as four people in cars on that bridge were killed. Only five people from the plane survived.

Last night's crash is the deadliest U.S. air disaster since February 2009, when a propeller driven passenger plane crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York. All 49 people on the plane and one person on the ground died. Before that, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks involving four hijacked airlines killed nearly 3,000 people.

Two months later, an American Airlines jet heading to the Dominican Republic crashed after taking off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 260 people on the plane and five people on the ground. And now last night's accident joins that horrible list. May the victims' lives be remembered as a blessing and not just as numbers.

President Trump, the newly cemented leader of this country, spoke multiple times today about last night's deadly crash. Instead offering reassurance to the American people, he played something of a blame game, pointing the finger of blame for the crash at Democrats, at diversity in hiring, and at the Black Hawk chopper pilot for last night's deadly collision.

When asked if the President had plans on visiting the scene, here's how he responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a plan to go visit the site or meet with any --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have a -- I have a plan to visit, not the site, because what it -- you tell me what's the site to order?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Or to meet with the first responders down there?

TRUMP: I don't have a plan to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: In the immediate aftermath of a tragedy like this, the American people often look to the President of the United States for leadership, for direction, for explanation, for some sort of comfort and reassurance, such as what we saw from President Ronald Reagan in -- in 1986 after the space shuttle Challenger disaster. Instead of giving his State of the Union Address, Reagan consoled the nation from the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:55:08]

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They, the Challenger 7, were aware of the dangers but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: In 1995, after the Oklahoma City bombing, a terrorist attack by far right terrorists, President Bill Clinton addressed the nation from the briefing room, vowing to investigate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States will not tolerate it. And I will not allow the people of this country to be intimidated by evil cowards.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Words of reassurance, words of comfort, words of respect, words trying to bring us together, trying to unite us. That is what the American people expect from their president. CNN's coverage of this disaster over the Potomac River picks up next with Anderson Cooper right after this break. I'll see you tomorrow.

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