An American Airlines flight bound for Washington, DC, carrying four members of Congress was diverted after a disruptive passenger caused a disturbance midflight, forcing an emergency stop in Kansas City and a law enforcement removal before the plane later continued to its destination.
The tolerant Left strikes again. An American Airlines flight with four Congress members aboard was forced off course after a passenger began creating a disturbance and openly objected to their presence on the plane. Passengers and crew were put through an unnecessary delay while officials handled the situation.
The flight had been en route from Phoenix Sky Harbor to the Capitol when the problem escalated, and what should have been a routine trip turned into an unscheduled stop that disrupted schedules and security planning. Lawmakers were traveling to Washington to participate in critical votes, and a single unruly traveler created a needless interruption. Flights are not the place for political theater, yet that’s exactly what unfolded on this flight.
A plane carrying four members of Congress to Washington, DC, to vote on ending the government shutdown was diverted due to a “disruptive passenger” who later declared to fellow flyers, “We live in a fascist state.”
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) posted on X on Tuesday
that the American Airlines flight carrying him along with three Republicans from the Grand Canyon State — Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar — was forced to make an “emergency stop in Kansas City” after an unruly passenger caused a disturbance following takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The flight had been in the air for about 2 hours and 41 minutes when it was diverted to Kansas City International Airport, landing safely around 6:15 p.m., according to Flight Aware.
Here’s Rep. Stanton’s post:
Stanton also posted video of the incident.
As she was exiting the plane, the unidentified woman told the plane, “We live in a fascist state.”
American Airlines released a formal account that must be quoted exactly: “On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from Phoenix (PHX) to Washington, DC (DCA), diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to a disruptive customer. Law enforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight later re-departed for DCA, where it landed normally. We thank our customers for their patience and our crew members for their professionalism.”
The roster on board included Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and three Republicans from Arizona — Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar — who were traveling together for votes in Washington. The diversion occurred roughly 2 hours and 41 minutes into the route and the aircraft touched down in Kansas City at about 6:15 p.m., according to public flight tracking. That timeline means a significant portion of the trip was already behind them when the incident forced the unscheduled stop.
Removing a disruptive traveler mid-journey is the right response, but the episode exposes how heated rhetoric and demonstrative political behavior can spill into public spaces and endanger schedules and safety. Crew members and law enforcement handled the situation, and the plane was able to continue after the passenger was removed. Still, the inconvenience is real for everyone on board, including elected officials trying to do their jobs.
This incident also underscores how partisan tensions can manifest in everyday life, turning a commercial flight into a small-scale theater of politics that disrupts uninvolved people. Members of Congress traveling to vote on pressing matters deserve safe, orderly transport, not confrontations that risk escalation. For now, authorities reported that the customer was taken off the aircraft and the flight completed its trip to Washington normally.
