Washington, D.C. – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly rebuked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Tuesday for attempting to link former President Donald Trump to a recent Delta Air Lines crash in Toronto.
Appearing on Fox News’ America Reports, Leavitt condemned Schumer’s remarks as “irresponsible†and accused him of politicizing an ongoing investigation.
“It’s incredibly irresponsible for Chuck Schumer to say such a thing when the investigation is still underway,†Leavitt said, responding to the senator’s claim that Trump’s recent cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workforce played a role in the accident.
Delta Flight Crash-Lands in Toronto
The controversy erupted after a Delta Air Lines flight originating from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport crash-landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
Video footage of the harrowing moment showed the aircraft touching down on the runway before flipping onto its top side, engulfed in a burst of flames. The violent impact left the plane upside-down as passengers scrambled to evacuate through the emergency exits.
Fortunately, all 80 passengers aboard survived, though 18 sustained injuries, including three who were reported to be in critical condition. Canadian aviation officials, along with the FAA, have since launched a formal investigation into the crash.
Schumer Blames Trump for FAA Cuts
In the wake of the crash, Schumer took to X (formerly Twitter) to suggest that recent layoffs at the FAA under Trump’s administration contributed to the incident.
“I’m thankful that everyone in the flight incident in Toronto that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we keep seeing these incidents day after day,†Schumer wrote. “Meanwhile, Trump’s doing massive layoffs at the FAA—including safety specialists—and making our skies less and less safe.â€