While United Airlines CEO has worked to turn himself into MAGA’s favorite executive, senior Republicans have been souring on American Airlines.
Ever since White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair took to Twitter to put American Airlines on blast a couple of weeks ago, Trump World has viewed the airline as a problem. Blair’s tweet set off a chain of criticism that serves status-signaling and tribal membership.
American Airlines is the major carrier at Washington’s close-in National airport, so gets an outsized portion of government travel. And it now seems to be the favorite travel company to criticize – not just for its failures but as a way to indicate proximity to the centers of Republican power in D.C.
Today, American Airlines delays me 2.5 hours because someone failed to notice empty hydraulic fluid before it was time to go down the runway.
Yesterday, they apparently forgot to BOOK A PILOT for my wife’s flight.
I’m going to take a new interest in the airline industry.
— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) February 26, 2026
By way of example, here’s Adam Piper, director of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Just got fussed at by @AmericanAir priority baggage for having clothes in my golf bag I was checking…
I fly a LOT as an Exec Platinum and have never heard you should not have clothes in your checked golf bag
— Adam Piper (@adampiper) March 8, 2026
More than a week later, National Republican Senatorial Committee political director Chris Olmstead doesn’t just put American Airlines on blast over a week later, he goes back to find and quote tweet Blair’s original missive to make the connection explicit.
After leaving 2 hours late from DCA because of AA maintenance, @Americanair has now diverted/parked me on a tarmac in Tulsa (not DFW) & won’t let us leave the plane for 3 hours.
Fun fact: another American flight that left DCA after us, landed in Dallas on time.
AA JOKE✈️ https://t.co/cFNDucNeFB
— Chris Olmstead (@ct_olmstead) March 7, 2026
What I’m finding interesting here is the elite cue-taking. These lower-ranked actors in the coalition take the positions of the higher-status figure (Blair), who gave both permission and implicit instruction for others to repeat and amplify his criticism. It then becomes a coalition signal which indicates their proximity to power, ideological alignment, and membership in the same professional network. The boss sets the line, and they make it clear they’re with it. They’re members of the tribe and fluent in its culture, sharing the same grievances.
They have real grievances against American Airlines! But the need to put the airline on blast doesn’t stem primarily from their flight experience. It’s more liturgical repetition more than independent commentary.
This is not a phenomenon limited to one political party or the other, other we will see it more now from Republicans as the party in power (since there’s more fragmented leadership among Democrats while out of power, and more jockeying to be the future leader of that party – less ideological alignment).
Coming out against American is useful because it highlights anti-corporate populism within dominant parts of the Republican Party as well as alignment with White House messaging.
Sorry, politics must not add to this already crazy world- pay the TSA workers, bring back Global Entry and most importantly , make sure there are regulations to ensure safety and security while flying- and that they are enforced for everyone –
I never heard the term “put on blast” and had to look it up. But I get it now. This is a case that bullies attract other bullies, and the weak minded follow the loud mouths.
The MAGA sycophants can’t help themselves — someone says a casual remark in passing, someone posts it on some social media channel, and soon everyone comes out of the woodwork.
Lemmings.
/\/\/\/\/\
re: AA –> I got left in Dallas when my connecting flight was late, and the place from DFW departed early. (In fairness, the door would have already been closed by the time I got to the gate anyway.) It was a hassle, but in the end I got a voucher for a hotel and it all worked out in the end. But I never would have dreamed of posting it on social media…
Like the Fight Attendants stated it is time for Robert Isom to be replaced. The new CEO should not be another former USAIR guy as Parker and Isom destroyed a once a great airline.
Don’t forget that these are also examples of AA being just plain awful.
There is such a thing as legitimate criticism.
Surprising place for a discussion of social anthropology.
Tribal behavior is human nature. Which we had mostly conquered over centuries. It’s making quite a comeback.
MAGA is a cult.
But, but… I was told they hate United. So, Gary, which is it? Or do they just love to hate everything? 238 days until midterms…
Tim Dunn replied to each and every one of these tweets.
Well that leaves them to fly DL, SWA, Frontier (although maybe too woke for them) and Spirit. Thank goodness I won’t have to see a red loser hat on an AA flight anymore!
AM I MAGA NOW?
I’m going to start wearing Trumpish regalia, a TWO red hats for every American flight, just so they, and the tootweasels who oppose the only legitimate President of the past 30 years will known they are not forgotten. Admire my exquisite 22kt. Gold electroplated watch, the Air Trump Golden sneakers, and my joyful red tie with the brick pattern. And ready yourself for the fragrant notes of my 49 cologne as presented to world leaders regularly, in an enclosed transcon flight you will come to love each of the 207 herbal and spice hints. No, dear travelers we will not be sidelined to Spirit or United any longer, we will shake American into compliance. The Boss would want it that way.
@drrichard +1
Wait, is MAGA going to break yet another promise, the deregulatory agenda?
Shocking, coming from grifters.
Stop making everything political.
In case everyone forgot, the republicans are in power because the majority of Americans voted for them. Republicans won BOTH the popular vote and electoral vote.
Do you really want to make something like tweeting about crappy service on a flight, something that a lot of people do, the reason you lose readers?
Let’s all be real: American Airlines sucks and they treat customers poorly. Not booking a pilot is a totally fair reason to shame them online.
It’s also not okay that folks in the comments are using slander toward half the country simply because they disagree with them.
Reminder: this is a blog about flying.
Legit Gary? Check out the policies…
You can travel with 1 golf bag containing:
Golf clubs
Golf balls
Golf tees
1 pair of golf shoes
You can’t travel with swingless golf club load strips.
“Politics. The Domain of the Ignorant and the Province of Fools”
(an original DFWSteve quote circa 1995)
Thus, I eschew politics in any form.
Did you guys catch the recent article about how AA booted SNL alum Jim Breuer out of the First Class seat he paid for? AA lied to him and gave his seat to a pilot while they moved him and his wife to coach row 18. The compensation they offered him was far LESS than the thousands he paid for his first class ticket. AA only reached out to him after he complained to the DOT.
If AA is willing to treat a First Class passenger this way, no AA passenger is safe.
Shame on AA. They are unworthy of their name. Now I’m considering dumping AA. I may choose Delta as my primary airline and replace my AA credit card and with one from Delta.
@Jane Doe — The movement of people, resources, etc. has always been inherently ‘political,’ so your attempt at gate-keeping on here is laughable.
Same symptoms diagnosis unnecessary
@ Jane Doe – I am 100% in agreement with your post.
This is a travel blog and that should be the focus.
Unfortunately, too many TDS brain damaged readers feel compelled to comment on virtually every article as an opportunity to bash Trump/MAGA. Their low substance comments devalue this blog.
Whether a reader is on team blue or team red is completely IRRELEVENT we have a Uni-Party in DC screwing all of us. I too would prefer if readers would stop making everything political.
Hey, if ny airline deserves it, it’s AA.
@ Jane Doe – I am 100% in agreement with your post.
This is a travel blog and that should be the focus.
Unfortunately, too many T.D.S. brain damaged readers feel compelled to comment on virtually every article as an opportunity to bash Trump/MAGA. Their low substance comments devalue this blog.
Whether a reader is on team blue or team red is completely IRRELEVENT we have a Uni-Party in DC screwing all of us. I too would prefer if readers would stop making everything political.
@ Jane Doe – I am 100% in agreement with your post.
This is a travel blog and that should be the focus.
Unfortunately, too many readers feel compelled to comment on virtually every article as an opportunity to bash Trump/MAGA. Their low substance comments devalue this blog.
Whether a reader is on Team Blue or Team Red is completely IRRELEVENT when we have a Uni-Party in DC screwing all of us. I too would prefer if readers would stop making everything political.
Over 80% of the country has TDS at this point it appears to be one of most easily communicable maladies ever known to man.
I am so tired of the TDS contract. But, fortunately I will now scan for it and not read those posts.
People are complaining about AA all over X and Reddit, but when a politico complains it’s tribalism with a bullhorn?
Someone needs to get out the house more.