American Airlines flight 1218 from Phoenix to Washington National diverted to Kansas City on Tuesday to offload a “disruptive passenger.” Four members of Congress were onboard returning to D.C. to vote on whether to re-open the government, and experienced first-hand flight disruptions that have plagued the country.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) posted while en route that their flight was making an “emergency stop in Kansas City to remove [a] disruptive passenger,” later thanking “Kansas City police for handling the situation professionally and without incident.”
The same Airbus A321neo, registration N449AN, continued to D.C. arriving 1 hour and 18 minutes late. It’s not clear what the passenger actually did to warrant removal, but as they were taken off the aircraft declared that “we live in a fascist state.”
On a serious note, thank you Kansas City police for handling the situation professionally and without incident. pic.twitter.com/crhr4yKUZg
— Greg Stanton (@gregstantonaz) November 12, 2025
If you’d like to hear her parting words… pic.twitter.com/ZtXAWKEEYn
— Adam Burtner (@Adam_Burtner) November 12, 2025
Representative Stanton is the source of most information about the diversion, saying he was heading back to vote no on the Republican continuing resolution. The three Arizona Republicans on board — Crane, Biggs, and Gosar — have all been pushing to end the shutdown by passing the legislation.
- He’s said he would vote NO on the continuing resolution to re-open the government (and, most relevant to travelers, pay air traffic controllers) because it “fails to lower health care costs” (i.e., excludes Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions).
- His feed in recent days frames Democrats as wanting to end the shutdown with health‑care provisions, or put another way holding government functions hostage to extending subsidies for health care that are ending.
Meanwhile other members of Congress avoided the skies completely traveling back to D.C. to vote on re-opening the government.
Quick stop in Crossville, TN at the always reliable Buc-ee’s with my friend @RepTrentKelly as we head back to D.C. to end the Democrat shutdown. 8 more hours to go! pic.twitter.com/9eSIw40dRr
— Rep. Rick Crawford (@RepRickCrawford) November 11, 2025
.@derrickvanorden is driving 951 miles from Wisconsin to DC on his motorcycle! https://t.co/B3MHmGZjnG pic.twitter.com/1cZdovlSE3
— GK (@gracepeyt) November 11, 2025
It seems to me that leaving the Capitol during the government shutdown was a bad practice for members of Congress all around. And having flight issues trying to get back is… unsurprising? But I guess it’s good for them to have to eat their own dog food as it were.
The Senate advanced modified version of H.R. 5371 (continuing resolution) on November 10 by 60–40 and sent it back to the House. The bill funds the government through January 30, 2026 without ACA subsidy extensions. A House vote is expected today.
“It seems to me that leaving the Capitol during the government shutdown was a bad practice for members of Congress all around.”
Yup, while I don’t condone misbehavior on flights, I also recognize that people, all sides, are not happy with anything right now. The economy is bad; lotta layoffs; affordability has not improved, at all; groceries cost more; tariffs have hurt; healthcare is about to get exorbitantly that much more expensive, if it wasn’t already.
Meanwhile, the President, and his party of sycophants and enablers for the billionaire class, seem to only care about himself, ballrooms (‘but, but.. donors’), grifting billions off crypto-scams, sending tens of billions of our taxpayer dollars to Argentina (but, but ‘currency swap’) hosting Great Gatsby-themed parties, real let-the-eat-cake vibes from that fella, all while Americans starve and work like-slaves without pay.
And, folks, I’m not tickled about corporate-shill, uni-party, appeasement Democrats either, so, if you wanna help us get rid of Chuck, that’d be swell. I’d like to see a Progressive takeover, like what y’all did with the Tea Party and #45 in the lead-up to 2016. Anyway, something’s gotta change.
Do you hear the people sing?
Without turning this political, it is a bit amusing how fundamentally the narrative shifts on both political sides when the ground reality is just marginally different.
The bottom line is there are signs of economic malaise, but the overall economic picture remains strong (~2% overall GDP growth; +3% in the 3rd quarter; unemployment rate in the mid 4%; inflation high 2% to low 3%). There are affordability issues, but even with the inflationary pressures real wages are moderately increasing (as is consumer spending). Republicans are trying to sell a “great” economy that is just OK and not as bad statistically as some feel.
What’s hilarious is this is almost exactly the same economic picture that we were in 2023-2024 when Democrats were complaining how the economic statistics were strong yet on the ground people did not like the economy. Real wages only recovered to 2019-2020 levels in late 2023 / early 2024 due to the inflationary pressures while GDP growth was anemic in the first half of 2022 (negative in Q1, <1% in Q2) recovering afterwards to the ~2% range. The unemployment rate reached in the low ~4% range in May 2024 where it still is today.
Funnily enough, you see that in both Biden and Trump's approval ratings which are both now languishing in the low 40%'s. The actual statistical performance after 1 Trump year is basically a continuation of what Biden was accomplishing.
The reason why outsiders do so well in the US political system and why everyone is so angry is despite the narratives both sides will try to tell, the actual ground reality between the two simply continues to be just trudging water. There isn't much evidence you can look at today to say the economy would be much stronger with a Biden / Harris vs Trump today or vice versa in 2020-2024 outside of partisan mumbo-jumbo.
After 1990 went after me for no reason whatsoever, I have saved myself a lot of time by not reading any of her posts.
@Other Just Saying — You’re ignoring me ‘so hard’ that you have to talk about me… right.
Fuel prices are lower. What about egg prices? What did the Squad do with all of those egg displays they brought to the capitol right after Trump was elected? With regards to the disruptive passenger, she probably was a George Floyd demonstrator, Portland Federal Building fire bomber, Tesla dealership destruction, ICE protestor and of course Free Palestine knucklehead. Oh and 1990, male or female?
I should add, the stock market has never been better, and everything is just fine, forever, no such thing as bubbles, so please, ignore everything that isn’t exactly what you want to hear.
As Philip J. Fry once said: “You can’t give up hope just because it’s hopeless! You gotta hope even more! And stick your fingers in your ears and go: Blahbiddy Blahbiddy blah blah blah!!”
A more civilized country would allow – if not require – their delegates to telecommute from offices in their own districts or respective state capitals.
PSA for folks here:
Internet troll validation is the act of giving trolls the attention and emotional reactions they crave, which reinforces their harmful behavior and motivates them to continue. Trolling is often driven by a need for validation, a sense of inadequacy, or other psychological issues, and their primary goal is to provoke a strong emotional response. Providing this validation, whether through angry replies or engaging with their inflammatory comments, encourages them to escalate their trolling.
Why trolls seek validation
To compensate for feelings of inadequacy: Trolling can be a way to assert dominance or feel a sense of power when they feel powerless in their own lives.
For negative attention: Trolls often receive validation through negative attention, likes, or upvotes on outrageous comments, which reinforces their behavior.
A result of “online disinhibition”: The anonymity of the internet allows people to act in ways they wouldn’t normally, leading them to lash out due to personal frustrations.
How to avoid giving trolls validation
Do not respond: The most effective strategy is to ignore them completely.
Report and block: Use the platform’s tools to report offensive comments and block the user to prevent further interaction.
Do not engage: Avoid getting drawn into arguments or replying to their comments, as this is exactly the validation they are looking for.
Document and report: If the trolling is severe, document the behavior with screenshots and report it to the platform or, if it meets the legal threshold, to authorities.
Put on a No Fly List, 30 days in jail and a bill for the diversion cost. The next moron would think differently.
1. Congress has no business getting paid during the shutdown. Time to amend the constitution.
2. It’s rich how many people in DC have no issue not paying the TSA and ATC while they galavant around the country going to football games and flying private.
3. It’s also noteworthy how Rep, Mace (or any politician in a power trip) can stomp through an airport likes a crazed maniac without repercussions while others are not given the same latitude.
Why are taxpayers subsidizing the insurance companies?
Why not work on bills to lower what the insurance companies, healthcare companies charge
Gee, I just can’t seem to determine where Steve’s post is directed.
@ Gary — Every. Single. Person. Elected to Congress should be limited to ONE term per lifetime. They are almost all crooks.
@Joseph — No, the economy was absolutely better under the prior administration; and, #47’s policies, specifically, have been an economic disaster, for nearly all people, except those at the very top (stock market, only for now, just wait). You are lying to suggest otherwise.
Also, this post, specifically, and much of what Gary posts about is all inherently ‘political’ if it has anything to do with people, power, resources, etc. So, to suggest you or anyone is not or should not ‘get political’ is just laughable. You really do remind me of the parents from Don’t Look Up (‘no politics…we just want the jobs the comet will bring…’)
@Steve, @Mike P — Gee, looks like you two each took the bait. Naw, let’s be real; I’m not trolling; I’m sharing my thoughts on the topic at hand, and you happen to disagree with me, but you’re too cowardly to engage. That’s fine. Ignore or engage. You do you. Thanks, at least for now, for not seeking to ‘silence’ or ‘censor’ those who’s views you do not share. That would be true cowardice.
@Coffee Please — Oh, I’m a number. Bah! And, nice try, but your numbers don’t add up.
I’m not a fan of this kind of behavior. It accomplishes nothing and just fans the flames of divisive politics. The episode though illustrates well what the US is right now. A country that sucks.
Not wrong
Another worthless clown…..trying to make political hay our of a infight incident. It’s no coincidence the perpetrator was spewing Democratic BS!
@lavanderialarry — Did you hear about “the dog who hasn’t barked”?
@Steve,
I wish this blog had an ignore button for the worthless clown.
@Pilot93434 — “Every breath i take without your permission raises my self esteem.”
Anyway, any thoughts on the incident in Gary’s post? You still frequent MCI, right? Regardless of this outlier, I’ll say, I really like the new terminal; great SkyClub, too. Heard they opened an Amex Escapes, too. See, I still bring plenty of relevant travel-card-topical commentary, too.