Elon Musk pushed Federal Aviation Administration Chief Michael Whitaker from his post just 10 days before the deadly plane and Black Hawk helicopter crash over Washington, DC.
Musk, a close Trump advisor who also heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had demanded Whitaker step down after the erstwhile FAA chief proposed more than $600,000 in fines for SpaceX — Musk’s aerospace firm.
Whitaker — who held the post for only a year — announced he would step down after President Trump was sworn in, leaving the FAA without a leader in a time of virtually unprecedented disaster for the agency.
Chris Rocheleau — a 22-year-veteran of the FAA — was last week sworn in as deputy administrator, putting him in charge in an acting capacity, however the Senate has yet to confirm a permanent replacement.