What Trump posted during nationwide FAA ground stop before calling for more funding

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon after telecommunications problems affected radar and communications systems used by air traffic controllers. The shutdown began shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern Time, preventing most aircraft from departing while flights already in the air were allowed to land. Thousands of travelers faced delays and cancellations as airports struggled with the disruption. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the ground stop was ordered as a precaution to protect passengers.

While the ground stop remained in effect, Trump turned to Truth Social to promote the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, legislation intended to encourage film and television production in the United States. In the Friday post, Trump highlighted bipartisan cooperation involving Republican Sen Tim Scott and Democratic Sen Adam Schiff, along with several other lawmakers. He argued that foreign tax incentives had drawn entertainment production away from the United States. “MAKE OUR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GREAT AGAIN!” Trump declared. The timing of the post attracted attention because the president had not yet publicly addressed the nationwide aviation disruption.

Minutes after his Hollywood statement, Trump posted about a separate emergency in Louisiana, where a tanker had struck a docked river cruise ship on the Mississippi River. He thanked the US Coast Guard, law enforcement personnel and first responders for their work following the collision. “Incredibly, nobody was killed by this major collision,” Trump wrote, noting that 32 people had been hospitalized. He also praised Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry for his leadership during the emergency. The post came as federal aviation officials continued working to resolve the nationwide flight shutdown.

On Saturday, November 14, Trump turned his attention to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, criticizing his plan to commute death sentences to life imprisonment without parole. In a Truth Social post, Trump called the move a "disaster for Justice in America" and accused Newsom of disregarding the families of murder victims. He followed with another post comparing some of the condemned inmates to the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter. Newsom has defended his position by arguing that California's death penalty system is unfair and has resulted in wrongful convictions. The proposed commutations would not release inmates from prison.

Trump also used Truth Social on Saturday to criticize a federal judge over his administration's plans to redevelop East Potomac Golf Links in Washington, DC. He posted numerous photographs of the course and described it as "the Worst Golf Course anywhere in the World." Trump argued that the proposed renovation would transform the property into a championship-level venue capable of hosting major golf tournaments. The posts came amid a legal dispute over the administration's plans to close the public park and golf course for redevelopment. US District Judge Ana Reyes issued a temporary order blocking the closure.

On Sunday, November 15, Trump publicly addressed the aviation crisis, urging Congress to approve additional funding for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's air traffic control system. In a Truth Social post, he argued that modernization should not proceed in "drips and drabs" and criticized the age of the existing infrastructure. "If Congress approves the desperately needed money for Air Traffic Control, we can get it built quickly and efficiently," Trump wrote. The president also blamed the Biden administration for problems with the system. Congress had previously approved $12.5 billion for FAA modernization under Trump's administration, while a Biden-era infrastructure law had allocated $25 billion for airport and air traffic control improvements. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the disruption appeared to have originated during telecommunications equipment upgrades involving contractor L3Harris. The precise cause remained under investigation, and officials expected flight operations to return to full capacity by Monday.