Trump Blames Biden for Aviation Issues, Calls for $50 Billion in ATC Funding
Trump criticized Biden for aviation disruptions and called on Congress to fund air traffic control upgrades following a major flight stoppage.
NEW DELHI, Nov 15: Former President Donald Trump has attributed recent aviation disruptions to the Biden administration, calling for congressional funding to modernize the air traffic control system. His remarks came after a nationwide ground stop left thousands of flights delayed or canceled.
On Friday evening, a failure in upgrading communication cables led to a ground stop affecting nearly 10,000 flights across the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later stated that full air travel normalcy would take longer than initially expected.
Trump criticized Biden, asserting that he inherited an “FAA disaster” and that the system has worsened under Democratic leadership. He said, “Everything they touched turned bad. Big money spent unwisely, making an old and broken system worse than when they began.” Trump urged Congress to approve $50 billion for necessary upgrades to aviation infrastructure.
Transportation Secretary Duffy defended his position, saying he was dealing with outdated systems. He noted that aspects of the current infrastructure date back to the 1960s and rejected calls for his resignation. “So when we do work and things go wrong, of course I’m the secretary,” Duffy said, “But I also have to acknowledge what was delivered to me.”
As of Sunday morning, at least 1,460 flights had been canceled due to the disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the ground stop was only the second of its kind since the September 11 attacks. Duffy expressed a desperate need for Congress to act swiftly on infrastructure funding to improve aviation safety.
Democrats responded to Trump’s comments, noting that his party controlled Congress for the last two years. They argue this timeframe could have been used to address issues within the federal aviation system.