Leavitt: Trump official policy only two sexes MALE AND FEMALE; signed memorandum FAA high standards

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed multiple Trump administration priorities during a White House briefing, starting with Trump’s executive order establishing only two sexes — male and female — as official federal government policy. Leavitt noted directed compliance across “all federal agencies” and support for “congressional legislation to support the president’s agenda in this space and certainly ending the mutilation.” On aviation safety following the Reagan National Airport collision that killed 67 people, Leavitt said Americans should feel safe flying but acknowledged “deterioration of federal hiring standards at the Federal Aviation Administration” with Trump wanting “to increase those standards.” She framed pilots needing selection “based on their merit and their skills” given responsibility of flying “American citizens by the tens of millions every single day.” Leavitt provided crisis response update — President and newly appointed team in immediate communication within moments, briefings Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, continued updates. Trump’s aviation safety memorandum directs “immediate assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration,” reviewing “all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years” with “necessary corrective actions.” The review includes “comprehensive assessment and reversal of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards.” Leavitt emphasized aviation safety was addressed before the tragic collision — “On his second day in office, the president signed a memorandum to immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory merit-based hiring.” Leavitt referenced 2018 Trump first-term action ending “biographical questionnaire that was introduced by the Obama Administration, which punished skilled applicants.”

Two Sexes Official Policy

“The president has already taken a very strong stance on this issue this week with the signing of his executive order, a few executive orders in this space. First, he made it the official policy of the federal government that there are only two sexes, male and female, and we have directed all federal agencies to comply with that policy.”

Trump’s gender policy framework:

• Executive order signed
• Official federal policy
• Only two sexes (male, female)
• All federal agencies
• Compliance directed

The executive order framework:

• Defending Women From Gender Ideology
• Federal government policy
• Agency-wide directive
• Civil service framework
• Personnel policy

The policy elements:

• Sex as biological category
• Passports reflect biological sex
• Federal forms updated
• Prisons assignment by biological sex
• Sports policy framework

Ending Mutilation

“As for congressional legislation to support the president’s agenda in this space and certainly ending the mutilation.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Congressional legislation needed
• Trump agenda support
• Ending mutilation
• Medical procedures
• Minors protection

“Ending the mutilation” — gender-affirming surgical and hormonal interventions on minors. Various state laws restricting; federal legislation proposed. Trump executive orders on federal funding restrictions.

The legislative framework:

• Federal funding prohibitions
• State law protection
• Medical professional standards
• Parental rights
• Age-of-majority framework

Americans Safe Flying

“The president was asked and answered this yesterday, and he believes that it is still indeed safe and Americans should feel safe traveling our skies.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Trump’s earlier reassurance
• Safety continues
• Americans should feel safe
• Presidential reassurance
• Confidence framework

“With that said, two things can be true at the same time, and we certainly have seen the deterioration of federal hiring standards at the federal aviation administration. And the president wants to increase those standards.”

The balanced framework:

• Safe flying and
• Standards deteriorated
• Both true simultaneously
• Not contradiction
• Complex reality

The deterioration framework:

• Biden-era changes
• Biographical assessment
• Cognitive test changed
• Various reforms
• Quality concerns

Pilots Merit and Skills

“He wants pilots in this country who have the great responsibility of flying American citizens by the tens of millions every single day to be chosen for that position based on their merit and their skills.”

Trump’s pilot framework:

• Great responsibility acknowledged
• Tens of millions flying
• Merit-based selection
• Skills-based selection
• Quality standards

The commercial aviation:

• ~2.5 million US daily passengers
• 80,000+ daily flights
• Pilot competency critical
• Safety dependencies
• Professional standards

Catastrophic Air Collision

“I want to provide an update on President Trump’s actions in the wake of the catastrophic air collision that tragically claimed the lives of 67 people at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night.”

The DCA collision:

• Reagan National Airport
• Wednesday night
• 67 lives lost
• American Airlines Flight 5342
• Army Black Hawk

“Everyone in this White House continues to mourn the victims and keep their friends and families in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time.”

The mourning framework:

• White House engagement
• Victims remembered
• Families included
• Thoughts and prayers
• Presidential leadership

Immediate Communication

“First, within moments of the collision, the president and his newly appointed team were in immediate communication.”

The response timeline:

• Within moments communication
• Newly appointed team engaged
• Immediate coordination
• Various principals involved
• Situational awareness

“The president was briefed on Wednesday evening following the crash again on Thursday morning, and he has continued to receive updates as recovery efforts continue on the ground.”

The briefing framework:

• Wednesday evening initial
• Thursday morning follow-up
• Continued updates
• Recovery monitored
• Presidential engagement

“The president, as you know, took time to address the nation yesterday afternoon.”

The national address:

• Trump public remarks
• Press conference
• Cabinet members present
• Investigation framework
• Reassurance provided

Accountability Memorandum

“To deliver accountability, President Trump swiftly signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the federal government is maintaining the highest personnel and policy aviation safety standards.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Accountability framework
• Swift signing
• Memorandum directive
• Immediate assessment
• FAA focus

The memorandum elements:

• Personnel policy
• Aviation safety standards
• Highest standards framework
• Federal government maintenance
• Assessment comprehensive

Four-Year Review

“The memorandum directs the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA administrator to immediately review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years and to take all necessary corrective actions to achieve uncompromised aviation safety.”

The review framework:

• Secretary Duffy (Transportation)
• Acting FAA Administrator Rocheleau
• Four-year review
• All hiring decisions
• Safety protocol changes
• Corrective actions

The prior four years:

• Biden administration
• Hiring policy changes
• Safety protocol changes
• Standard changes
• Policy framework shifts

“The review will include a comprehensive assessment and reversal of any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols during the previous administration.”

The comprehensive framework:

• Assessment total
• Reversal directed
• Standards deterioration
• Aviation safety standards
• Protocol reversals

Pre-existing Aviation Safety

“Aviation safety was addressed by President Trump before this tragic collision even took place.”

The pre-existing framework:

• Prior Trump action
• Before tragedy
• Proactive framework
• Policy continuity
• Established position

“On his second day in office, the president signed a memorandum to immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory merit-based hiring.”

The second-day action:

• January 21 memorandum
• Biden DEI programs stopped
• Merit-based hiring restored
• Non-discriminatory framework
• Federal-wide policy

The framework significance:

• Early action
• Policy priority
• Swift implementation
• Executive authority
• Pre-DCA context

2018 Biographical Questionnaire

“And in 2018, during President Trump’s first term, the Department of Transportation announced it would put an end at that time to use the biological questionnaire that was introduced by the Obama Administration, which punished skilled applicants.”

The 2018 framework:

• First-term Trump action
• DOT announcement
• Biographical questionnaire ended
• Obama introduction
• Skilled applicants punished

The biographical assessment:

• FAA air traffic controller hiring
• 2013 introduction
• Non-cognitive factors
• Previously qualified candidates affected
• Reverse discrimination allegations

The first-term reversal:

• 2018 DOT action
• Biographical test ended
• Cognitive test restored
• Merit-based framework
• Political controversy

Continuing Leadership

“President Trump has long led on the issue of aviation safety, and he will continue to do so. He will continue to deliver on the promises he made to the American people at record speed.”

Leavitt’s framework:

• Trump’s long leadership
• Aviation safety record
• Continued commitment
• Promise delivery
• Record speed framework

The continuity:

• First term (2018 biographical end)
• Second term (January 21 hiring memo)
• Post-DCA (aviation safety memo)
• Ongoing commitment
• Consistent position

Executive Order Framework

Trump’s gender policy executive orders:

Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism:

• Two sexes defined
• Federal policy framework
• Agency directive
• Passport policy
• Prison assignment

Other related orders:

• Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports
• No Taxpayer Funding for Transitions
• Restoring Biological Truth
• Medical framework
• Education framework

The congressional legislation:

• Federal law framework
• Protecting Women framework
• Stop the Sexualization of Children
• Various House/Senate bills
• Judicial review implications

Aviation Safety Timeline

The aviation safety timeline:

Pre-DCA:

• January 20: Trump inauguration
• January 21: Hiring standards memorandum
• January 22-28: Various executive actions
• Pre-collision framework

Post-DCA:

• January 29: Catastrophic collision
• January 30: Press conference, cabinet framework
• January 30: Presidential memorandum on aviation safety
• January 31: Leavitt briefing on actions

The response speed:

• Within hours communication
• Within 24 hours press conference
• Within 48 hours memorandum
• Immediate implementation
• Record speed framework

Significance

The briefing captured:

1. Two sexes policy: Federal government official position
2. Americans safe flying: Balanced with standards concerns
3. DCA response: Comprehensive framework
4. Four-year review: Biden hiring/safety decisions
5. Pre-existing framework: January 21 memorandum
6. 2018 precedent: First-term biographical questionnaire end

The gender policy executive order established fundamental federal position. Two sexes as biological category; all federal agencies compliant; legal framework comprehensive.

The aviation safety framework demonstrated response comprehensive. Crisis management combined with pre-existing policy framework — reactive but positioned on proactive foundation.

The four-year review framework targeted Biden-era policy changes systematically. Not just individual crash response but comprehensive policy reset on aviation safety.

The 2018 precedent provided consistency framework. Trump’s aviation safety priorities not reactive to crisis but longstanding position gaining urgency through tragedy context.

Key Takeaways

• Leavitt on two sexes policy: “First, he made it the official policy of the federal government that there are only two sexes, male and female, and we have directed all federal agencies to comply with that policy. As for congressional legislation to support the president’s agenda in this space and certainly ending the mutilation.”
• Leavitt on deterioration: “Americans should feel safe traveling our skies. With that said, two things can be true at the same time, and we certainly have seen the deterioration of federal hiring standards at the federal aviation administration. And the president wants to increase those standards.”
• Leavitt on pilot standards: “He wants pilots in this country who have the great responsibility of flying American citizens by the tens of millions every single day to be chosen for that position based on their merit and their skills.”
• Leavitt on FAA memorandum: “The memorandum directs the Secretary of Transportation and the FAA administrator to immediately review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years and to take all necessary corrective actions to achieve uncompromised aviation safety. The review will include a comprehensive assessment and reversal of any deterioration in hiring standards.”
• Leavitt on second-day memorandum: “On his second day in office, the president signed a memorandum to immediately stop Biden DEI hiring programs and return to non-discriminatory merit-based hiring. And in 2018, during President Trump’s first term, the Department of Transportation announced it would put an end at that time to use the biological questionnaire that was introduced by the Obama Administration, which punished skilled applicants.”