Donald Trump has confirmed there are no survivors of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a helicopter above Washington DC. But he also sought to exploit the crash politically as he attacked diversity hiring and Joe Biden.

In a social media post, Trump questioned the tactics of the military helicopter and the air traffic controllers — both agencies that report to him as the president.

Donald Trump has confirmed there are no survivors of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a helicopter above Washington DC. But he also sought to exploit the crash politically as he attacked diversity hiring and Joe Biden.

Authorities were searching for survivors after a plane with 64 people aboard crashed into an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.

The president also blamed the Biden and Obama administrations for the overnight plane crash in Washington, D.C., where there have been no reported survivors.

President Trump delivered a statement on the deadly plane crash near Washington, D.C., calling it a "dark and excruciating night in our nation's capital." The president said the federal government would be "working tirelessly" to figure out what happened as responders shift to a recovery operation.