Chuck Schumer Doubles Down on Blaming the Trump White House for Plane Crash in Toronto

Schumer: “The FAA — the more Donald Trump and DOGE indiscriminately hack away at public agencies, the greater harm to Americans’ well-being and even their safety. The FAA is a good example. Just weeks after the deadliest plane crash in a long time, and just as we see more incidents around the country, President Trump has fired hundreds of FAA workers, including air safety personnel. Firing people whose very job it is to keep air travel safe is nothing short of reckless.

Now the White House accused us of linking the crash of the Minneapolis flight directly with FAA cuts in staffing. Nothing could be further from the truth. I simply said that when there are fewer FAA personnel, the skies are less safe. Does Donald Trump deny that there are fewer FAA staffers? Does Donald Trump deny that when he fires FAA workers, including workers who focus on safety, it makes travel less safe?

Of course, Donald Trump is obfuscating once again. He doesn’t want the truth to come out. But he should correct course immediately and halt these firings, because the safety of the skies is at risk. Now of course we know that President Trump ignores the truth. But we need to speak the truth when people’s safety is at stake. Here are the facts. Something went terribly wrong on the flight that took off from Minneapolis. That’s clear.

An investigation is underway, and as I said yesterday, I await their results. Similarly, something went terribly wrong a few weeks ago on the flight from Kansas to Washington D.C. that claimed 67 people’s lives. And here are more facts. Donald Trump and Elon Musk have fired hundreds of FAA staffers, including safety specialists, the very people who keep our skies safe. All so Republicans can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.

Why? Why at a time when incidents in the air and on the runways and in our airports seem to be increasing, why would we cut the very people meant to prevent them? Simple. Donald Trump and DOGE are doing it like they’re doing so much else, so they can help their billionaire buddies with another tax break.”