Staff Reports
In a classic twist of sensationalist journalism, NBC News is attempting to pin the recent Delta Airlines flight crash on none other than former President Donald Trump. Following the dramatic landing mishap at Toronto Pearson Airport, where Delta Flight 4819 flipped upside down, some media outlets found it irresistible to toss around Trump’s name like a political piñata. It seems that, for some, every aviation incident is just another opportunity to take a jab at the Trump administration.
Tom Costello, a senior correspondent at NBC, wasted no time in connecting the crash to staffing issues within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The crash injured approximately 18 individuals and raised concerns about whether the FAA’s personnel decisions, supposedly influenced by the previous administration’s budgetary cuts, are now endangering air travel. If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: if an airplane crashes, look no further than Trump’s “efforts to trim down” the federal workforce—because apparently the former president is secretly manning the control tower.
NBC News attempts to blame President Trump for Toronto plane crash due to FAA cuts.
FACT CHECK: This happened under Canadian authority under Canadian air traffic control. pic.twitter.com/EeKoe7OBcO
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 17, 2025
Costello claimed that while the flight operated under Canadian authority, there was a need to discuss U.S. air traffic control staffing. He reiterated concerns about the FAA’s staffing levels, which have been a topic of contention for years. Let’s not forget that this is a government agency that could never manage its budget without blaming someone else and, of course, shouting “Trump!” at the top of their lungs whenever anything goes wrong.
Interestingly enough, the supposed administrative “crisis” can be traced back to a plan by the FAA to fire hundreds of employees, many of whom were simply probationary workers, likely just a breath away from being told they were on the wrong end of a layoff notice. As the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists union flails its hands in horror, the reality dawns that these cuts were part of a larger trend seen in any systemic overhaul aimed at improving efficiency. Streamlining government is, after all, a tough narrative to spin when talking about public safety.
Meanwhile, in the backdrop of this political finger-pointing, one can’t help but notice the avalanche of aviation accidents in recent months that have little to do with who occupied the Oval Office just a few years ago. In fact, the Toronto crash was preceded by a series of deadly aviation incidents, including a tragic collision involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk Helicopter and an American Airlines flight resulting in a staggering death toll. Yet instead of addressing the real issues surrounding safety standards, maintenance, and infrastructure, the media machine would rather drive the narrative straight to Trump’s doorstep.
So, while the injuries from the crash serve as an unfortunate reminder of the risks that accompany air travel, NBC News and their like seem to be more interested in scoring political points than in reporting the facts. It’s truly remarkable how quickly some will trade objective journalism for an agenda, even when the fallout from their narratives could cause more harm than good. Aviation safety is paramount, and scapegoating the former president for current issues isn’t doing anyone any favors—except maybe for those who wish to keep the anti-Trump hysteria alive.
