The White House wasted no time firing back at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after he attempted to blame President Donald Trump for the recent Delta Air Lines crash in Toronto. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Schumer’s comments as “incredibly irresponsible,” pointing out that the investigation is still ongoing and that Trump’s policies had nothing to do with the incident.
The crash, which took place Monday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, saw a Delta airliner from Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport roll over onto its top side upon landing, erupting into flames. Miraculously, all 80 passengers survived, though 18 were injured, including three critically. While authorities work to determine the cause of the accident, Schumer wasted no time using it to attack the Trump administration’s FAA policies.
To those asking whether it matters that the plane’s destination was in Canada:
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
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 18, 2025
Schumer took to social media, declaring that Trump’s workforce cuts at the FAA—including supposed layoffs of safety specialists—were making air travel more dangerous. “We keep seeing these incidents day after day,” he wrote. “Meanwhile, Trump’s doing massive layoffs at the FAA— including safety specialists—and making our skies less and less safe.” He went on to insist that despite the crash occurring in Canada, the FAA still bore responsibility for inspecting the aircraft.
Leavitt, appearing on America Reports, dismantled Schumer’s claims one by one. She first pointed out that Canadian air-traffic controllers—not the FAA—were responsible for directing the Delta flight when it crashed. “As you rightfully pointed out, John [Roberts], this crash unfortunately took place in Canadian airspace with Canadian air-traffic controllers overseeing it,” she said.
She then directly countered Schumer’s accusation that Trump had gutted the FAA’s workforce. “No air-traffic controllers have been let go by Secretary Duffy or this new administration,” she stated. “In fact, Secretary Duffy has put great emphasis on hiring the best and the brightest air-traffic controllers who want to be part of the FAA.”
Leavitt also highlighted Trump’s commitment to aviation safety, noting that he signed an executive order prioritizing merit-based hiring across all federal agencies, including the FAA. “We want the best and the brightest, the most competent individuals in positions, especially of public safety at the FAA, the Department of Transportation, and all departments across this federal government, so we can best serve the American people,” she said.
Karoline Leavitt just delivered a slam dunk fact-check on Chuck Schumer for blaming the Delta plane crash that took place in CANADA, under Canadian Air traffic control, on Trump.
“It’s incredibly irresponsible for Chuck Schumer to say such a thing when the investigation is still… pic.twitter.com/ke3tiWtbeJ
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 18, 2025
The press secretary closed her remarks by turning the blame back on the previous administration, pointing out that Trump inherited an FAA weakened by years of mismanagement under President Biden’s leadership. “Pete Buttigieg and the Biden administration sat on their hands when it came to aviation safety for four years,” she said.
Schumer’s attack on Trump comes just weeks after the former president placed blame on Biden-era FAA standards for contributing to a tragic crash at Reagan National Airport that left 67 dead. With both parties now pointing fingers over aviation safety, it’s clear that the FAA will be a major battleground in the ongoing debate over government efficiency and accountability.
