Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., told Newsmax that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is playing both sides of the collapse of Spirit Airlines.
Smith said Monday on Newsmax's "Bianca Across the Nation" that Warren first supported a Biden administration move to block the proposed merger of Spirit and JetBlue.
"Look back to 2024, when President [Joe] Biden's Department of Justice stopped the merger of Spirit Airlines and JetBlue," Smith said. "They said that it would have too much of a market share.
"It would have been 9% after the merger for those two companies to have merged when the big four make up 80% of all of it."
Warren, Smith said, was out front on the issue. "She championed the fact that she stopped this merger because she was afraid that travelers would have higher fares.
"Well, guess what? She is basically the arsonist."
Smith said Warren is now taking the other side of the issue and "also now trying to be the firefighter because she advocated for this. And now 15,000 people, they don't have a job, and Americans have fewer options when it comes to discount airfare."
National Review described the senator’s position on Spirit Airlines as that of a "poisoner and physician."
It reported that in 2024, when the merger was blocked, the senator appeared pleased when she posted, "This is a Biden win for flyers!"
But National Review reported that last week, as Spirit faced collapse, Warren posted, "The Big Four airlines (American, Delta, Southwest, United) control 75% of the U.S. market. Fewer choices = higher prices for you."
Along with canceling its flights, Spirit is also shutting down its website. The website carried a message on Monday that read, "Spirit Is Winding Down All Operations."
Passengers may have difficulty resolving ticket issues following the shutdown. The site posted a notice that read, "There is no remaining Spirit customer call center or email address available, and you will not be able to resolve inquiries about refunds or other topics through the contacts below."
The airline said standard ticket purchases will be processed for refunds. "While we are not able to help rebook your flight on another airline, we will automatically process refunds for any flights purchased through Spirit with a credit or debit card to the original form of payment."
But tickets obtained using other methods may be left unresolved until the bankruptcy process is completed, according to the Spirit website.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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