Pilot Issues Threat to Trump Supporters After They Start Chanting 'USA' on His Flight
Two days after what began as a pro-Trump protest ended up with rioting at the U.S. Capitol, one American Airlines pilot made it clear he had had his fill of Trump supporters.
The flight from Washington to Phoenix turned into a mini-Trump rally as passengers waited to leave D.C. behind, according to a video tweeted by Mindy Robinson, who lost her race for Congress in November.
“Wow. I’m on a plane full of patriots flying from DC to Phoenix and we started chanting “USA” …and the Captain came on said told us he’d drop us off in Kansas if he had to if we didn’t obey their every single rule. American Airlines is everything but America,” she tweeted, including a video of the chanting.
Wow. I’m on a plane full of patriots flying from DC to Phoenix and we started chanting “USA” …and the Captain came on said told us he’d drop us off in Kansas if he had to if we didn’t obey their every single rule.
American Airlines is everything but American.@AmericanAir pic.twitter.com/duFt2W90cc
— Mindy Robinson ?? (@iheartmindy) January 8, 2021
Although most people in the video are shown from the back, many appear to be maskless.
A second video from the flight records the cockpit’s ultimatum to the passengers..
“This is how an airline pilot from DC to Phoenix just responded to a plane full of Patriots chanting USA. If you don’t think they’re after our freedoms, you’re fooling yourself,” Pastor Greg Locke tweeted.
On the brief video, a very exasperated pilot warns the passengers to chill — or else.
This is how an airline pilot from DC to Phoenix just responded to a plane full of Patriots chanting USA. If you don’t think they’re after our freedoms, you’re fooling yourself. pic.twitter.com/tjueCcz6Px
— Pastor Greg Locke (@pastorlocke) January 8, 2021
“I’ll put this plane down in the middle of Kansas and dump people off, I don’t care,” he said.
“We will do that if that’s what it takes so, behave please.”
An airline spokesperson said the pilot was “emphasizing the importance of following crew member instructions and complying with mandatory face-covering policies,” according to the New York Post.
“At American, we take the safety of our customers seriously and we value the trust they place in our team to care for them throughout their journey,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that there were no “in-flight issues” after the plane took off.
The incident took place one day after Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, said anyone who participated in the rioting and protests should be banned from flying, according to the New York Post.
“Acts against our democracy, our government and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight,” she said.
“The mob mentality behavior that took place on several flights to the DC area yesterday was unacceptable and threatened the safety and security of every single person onboard.”
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