Jo Ellis Decries ‘Political Agenda’ in ‘Proof of Life’ Video After DC Crash

US News ReporterFOLLOW7Jo Ellis, the transgender soldier who was incorrectly named as one of the Black Hawk helicopter pilots that died in the collision with an American Airlines plane in Washington D.C on Wednesday, has posted a “proof of life” video to shut down rumors.She was falsely linked to the collision after President Donald Trump and Republicans suggested without evidence diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs could have caused the crash.Newsweek has contacted Ellis for further comment on Facebook.Why It MattersTrump made eradicating DEI policies across the government a central pillar of his 2024 campaign and said Thursday, without evidence, that diversity within the FAA was responsible for a midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet carrying 64 people and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crewed by three.

There is no information suggesting the crash was caused by DEI initiatives.The crash killed 67 people, and was the first major U.S. commercial air crash since February 2009.What To KnowMore than 90,000 posts on social media falsely linked Ellis to the crash. Multiple publications also reported the rumors as fact.Following the false accusations, Elis posted a video to Facebook on Friday shutting down the rumors.

“I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C., and that is false,” she said. “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. And I hope that you all know that I am alive and well, and this should be sufficient for you all to end all the rumors.”

Black Hawk pilot Jo Ellis was wrongly named by people on social media as having been involved in the crash between a helicopter and jet in Washington DC on January

The Army has identified two of the three soldiers killed in Wednesday’s crash in Washington as Staff Sergeant Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, but did not provide details about the third, saying only that they were a female pilot.

A Virginia National Guard spokesperson confirmed that Ellis, a chief warrant officer 2, is a currently serving soldier and that there were “no Virginia National Guard personnel on board the Black Hawk that collided with the jetliner Wednesday evening.”

Ellis is a Chief Warrant Officer and Black Hawk helicopter pilot who has served in the Virginia National Guard for 15 years. She served in combat zones in Iraq, along with other operations overseas.She serves in the military part-time, and also works as an IT engineer in the private sector.Ellis wrote in Smerconish.com that she began transitioning in 2023 while serving in the Army, and was met with “overwhelming support” from her command and unit.She recently appeared on The Smerconish Podcast where she said President Trump’s executive order barring trans people from serving and enlisting in the military makes her nervous.

“I don’t really want to have to deal with all of the headlines and everything going on about my service,” she said. “I want to keep my head down, serve, serve honorably and then eventually retire, maybe another 15, 20 years, or however long my body lets me fly that helicopter.”She added: “In a time when it’s hard enough to meet recruiting numbers in the military, why would you want to kick out more soldiers that are willing to sacrifice their life for this country?”Alongside his executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, Trump has signed orders affirming that the U.S. will recognize only two sexes—male and female—and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within federal agencies.What People Are SayingJo Ellis wrote on Facebook on Friday: “Some craziness has happened on the internet and I’m being named as one of the pilots of the DC crash.

“Please report any accounts or posts you see. It’s insulting to the victims and families of those lost and they deserve better than this BS from the bots and trolls of the internet.”President Donald Trump blamed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for the crash and also questioned the helicopter crew’s actions during a news conference on Thursday.He said that DEI programs had “lowered standards” for hiring air traffic controllers in the Federal Aviation Administration during the Joe Biden and Barack Obama presidencies.He also said that the American Airlines pilot “was doing everything right,” and that “for some reason, you have a helicopter at the same height and going at an angle.”

What Happens NextAn investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.