Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) criticized President Donald Trump and his handling of the Iran war on Sunday amid Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc.‘s (OTC:FLYYQ) grounding of its fleet over the weekend.
‘Affordability Is A Hoax,’ Says Newsom
In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, Newsom’s official Press Office handle quoted a post by NBC News, which shared that Spirit decided to cease operations because of geopolitical factors leading to increased fuel prices. “Wow. Trump destroyed America's largest low cost carrier. Affordability is a hoax!" the post said.
Spirit Sparks GOP Vs Democrats Debate
The budget operator’s collapse has sparked a new row between Republicans and Democrats. GOP lawmakers have accused Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), as well as former President Joe Biden‘s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, of opposing a merger between Spirit and JetBlue Airways Corp (NASDAQ:JBLU) back in 2024.
A merger between the two airlines could have possibly helped Spirit after its creditors opposed a $500 million funding package touted by Trump to help the carrier.
Warren instead blamed Trump’s handling of the war in Iran as the reason behind the current challenges in the aviation industry amid rising fuel costs. Notably, fans of the struggling airline, led by an individual, Hunter Peterson, have kicked off a fundraiser to buy Spirit, touting a community-owned model.
Fuel Costs Spark Concern Amid Iran War
Rising fuel costs have continued to impact ordinary Americans and companies alike. However, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) accused oil companies of profiting from the war in Iran as he drew comparisons between oil and gas prices from the days of President Barack Obama to the current prices during Trump’s second term.
Newsom, too, criticized Trump as gas prices in California hit $6.114/gallon. Newsom termed the excess cost at the pump across the U.S. as Trump's "Iran war tax." Trump, meanwhile, has issued a warning to Iran, saying that the country could face dire consequences if U.S. ships were hit in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
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