Plane with Congressmen Diverted Over Disruptive Passenger

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 FlightAware.

A video posted by another passenger on the flight after the emergency landing shows Kansas City police officers boarding the Airbus A320 and escorting an unidentified woman off the plane.

As police led the passenger off the plane, she is heard apologizing to her fellow flyers and offering a parting message.

“We live in a fascist state,” she told the flight.

Roughly an hour after the diversion, the plane took off from Kansas City and touched down at Reagan National Airport at 9:01 p.m.

Stanton later thanked the Kansas City Police Department “for handling the situation professionally and without incident.”

While it’s unknown what disturbance the unhinged passenger caused that forced the flight to make an emergency landing, American Airlines confirmed it was due to the actions of “a disruptive customer.”

“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,” the airline told KSHB 41.

“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.”

Stanton said he was returning to Washington to vote against the Republican continuing resolution when the plane made the unscheduled landing.

Meanwhile, the three Arizona Republicans on the flight have been advocating for ending the shutdown by approving the legislation.

On Wednesday, President Trump signed the bill that ended the 43-day government shutdown — the longest in US history — after the House passed the legislation earlier in the day.

The House voted 222-209 to pass the Senate’s funding bill, which will restart paychecks for federal employees and air traffic controllers and replenish funding for food assistance programs.

The legislation finally “reopens the government, restores critical services, and puts an end to the needless hardship Democrats have inflicted on the country,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.).