- Sen. Chuck Schumer and other Democrats appeared to blame the Trump administration for the Delta plane crash in Canada. The FAA laid off more than 300 employees, which Schumer said is impacting safety.
- FAA Administrator Sean Duffy said the employees who were let go were all probationary, and none were air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel.
- The investigation into the crash is just beginning, but the CEO of the Toronto Airport Authority said the area received more snow last week than it had all of 2024.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared to suggest that President Donald Trump is to blame for the Delta plane crash in Canada.
In a post on X, Schumer said Trump’s layoffs at the FAA are making the skies less safe, while Democrats are fighting to protect the public.
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“The flight took off from Minneapolis,” Schumer wrote in a separate post. “The FAA was still responsible for inspecting the aviation equipment, and Trump just let go of FAA safety specialists.”
To those asking whether it matters that the plane’s destination was in Canada:
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 18, 2025
The flight took off from Minneapolis. The FAA was still responsible for inspecting the aviation equipment, and Trump just let go of FAA safety specialists. https://t.co/uCpjHtqLnd
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that’s not true. According to Duffy, less than 400 of the agency’s 45,000 employees were let go. None of them were air traffic controllers or critical safety personnel. They were all probationary, meaning they had been on the job for less than a year.
Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world.
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 18, 2025
Here’s the… https://t.co/LCL1dswC2T
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union said it represents approximately 300 workers who were laid off, including maintenance mechanics, aeronautical information specialists, environmental protection specialists, aviation safety assistants and management and program assistants.
Schumer isn’t the only Democrat blaming the Trump administration for recent tragedies and troubles.
Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, posted, “Eggs and coffee around 20 percent more expensive. Airplanes crashing. Mass layoffs. Tariffs. Data breaches. Either they are really s—-y at helping you, or you are not the one they want to help.”
The investigation into how the plane crashed, caught fire and flipped over began in earnest the night of Monday, Feb. 17, and more investigators arrived the next morning on Tuesday, Feb. 18. That includes officials from government agencies and companies, including Delta and Mitsubishi.
The CEO of the Toronto Airport Authority said that two storms during the week of Feb. 10 dropped more snow on the area than they had received all of 2024. That led to hundreds of cancellations throughout the weekend. Monday was considered an operational recovery day for the airport. Now, its two longest runways remain closed, causing even more cancellations.
