Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy continues to double down on blaming the Democrats of the previous administration for the collapse of Spirit Airlines.
Duffy's Accusations
'Spirit tried to merge with JetBlue. The Joe Biden-Pete Buttigieg administration and DOJ tanked that deal,' Duffy told ABC's This Week on Sunday. 'Immediately after that, they filed for bankruptcy.'
'This was in the works for some time. I'm proud of the American airlines that have stepped up to take care of the passengers of Spirit, making sure they get home.'
Spirit's Cease of Operations
Spirit ceased operations at 3am on Saturday after a bailout from President Trump failed to materialize. The airline, which began operations in 1990, had been hoping for a $500 million lifeline from the federal government, but the deal had not been finalized in time due to financial complications, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The airline filed for bankruptcy twice, and an attempt to merge with JetBlue failed in 2024 after the Justice Department under the Biden administration blocked the multi-billion-dollar merger.
Further Blame
Duffy's latest accusation comes shortly after he again blamed Democrats for the collapse. Hours after Spirit ceased operations, he pointed to the Justice Department's decision, writing: 'Yet another mess the traveling public has to inherit thanks to the radical policies of Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.'
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined ABC's This Week on Sunday where he blamed the previous administration for the collapse of Spirit Airlines: 'Spirit tried to merge with JetBlue. The Joe Biden-Pete Buttigieg administration and DOJ tanked that deal.' Spirit ceased operation on Saturday, after a $500 million bailout from President Trump failed to materialize.
'In blocking the JetBlue/Spirit merger in 2024, they turned their backs on the American consumer and our great aviation workforce,' he continued.
'Regardless of how we got here, the Trump Administration is committed to taking care of you and your family when you fly. In a matter of hours, we’ve activated our airline partners to ensure passengers are not stranded, communities maintain route access, fares do not skyrocket, and Spirit’s workforce is connected to new job opportunities.'
He reiterated comments speaking to reporters at Newark Airport in New Jersey on Saturday morning.
