Contrary to a recent viral claim made by US Representative Eric Swalwell that more planes crashed under Donald Trump’s presidency than any other, government data offers a different perspective. Recordings made available by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) disprove Swalwell’s statement.
Swalwell made the claim about aircraft accidents under Trump’s administration during an interview on MSNBC. His comment rapidly spread on social media, painting a picture of a significant increase in plane crashes during Trump’s term in office from 2017 to 2021.
However, the data recorded by the NTSB provides a contrast to Swalwell’s assertion. Reviewed statistics of both general and domestic aviation accidents from 2000 to 2020 show that the lowest number of incidents occurred in 2017, during Trump’s first year in office. Furthermore, the four-year average of aviation accidents during Trump’s term is lower than that for previous administrations.
Despite Swalwell’s broad claim about aircraft accidents increasing under Trump, the most significant plane crash in recent years, the Ethiopian Airlines crash in 2019, involved a non-American carrier. It occurred due to technical issues and was not directly related to US aviation policies or safety regulations.
Critics have branded Swalwell’s claim as misleading, stating that it exploits tragic events and skews facts to pursue a political point. Swalwell was subsequently referred to as a “habitual liar” by these critics, sceptical of his viral statement made about plane crashes during Trump’s administration.
The NTSB’s data offers an objective factual analysis when it comes to aviation accidents during various presidential terms. It goes to show that political claims can be effectively countered with factual and scientifically backed information.
Last modified: March 1, 2025
