(Screengrab via X)
An American Airlines flight carrying four members of Congress was forced to divert to Kansas City after a passenger became disruptive in midair and shouted, “We live in a fascist state,” as police escorted her from the aircraft.
The flight, American Airlines 1218 from Phoenix to Washington, DC, had been in the air for more than two hours when it made an unscheduled landing on Monday evening. Law enforcement boarded the plane and removed the woman without further incident, according to passengers.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) confirmed on X that he and three Republican colleagues from Arizona – Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs, and Paul Gosar – were among those aboard and traveling to vote on a bill to end the record-breaking 43-day government shutdown.
Stanton thanked Kansas City police “for handling the situation professionally and without incident.”
Video posted online shows the woman apologising to other passengers before turning toward the cabin and declaring: “We live in a fascist state.” She appeared to be carrying a bag with the word “F*ck Trump” written on it.
American Airlines said the diversion was necessary “due to a disruptive customer,” adding that “law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally.”
The post Passenger’s ‘Fascist State’ Outburst Grounds American Airlines Flight Carrying 4 Lawmakers to DC for Shutdown Vote first appeared on Mediaite.
