‘report To Work Immediately’: Trump Threatens To Replace Absent Air Traffic Controllers With ‘true Patriots’

President Donald Trump on Monday railed against air traffic controllers who took time off from their high-stress jobs during the federal shutdown and threatened to replace them with “true Patriots.”

“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”

The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But Trump’s tone appeared somewhat at odds with the concern that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed in recent weeks about the shutdown’s burden on the FAA’s controllers, who as essential employees were required to work without pay.

“We have controllers who, again, are making decisions to feed their families as opposed to come to towers or [Terminal Radar Approach Control] or centers and do their jobs,” Duffy said Sunday on CNN. “I want them to come to work. The problem is they’re confronted with real economic problems.”

Sporadic staffing shortages of controllers, whose workforce has long struggled with a national shortfall, have cropped up during the shutdown, causing delays at major travel hubs. The FAA last week began to phase in a 10 percent reduction in domestic flights at 40 major airports, aiming to alleviate fatigue among controllers, who haven’t been paid during the lapse in appropriations.

At the same time as Trump’s broadside, the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association union, Nick Daniels, was briefing reporters about the shutdown’s impacts on members of the high-stress profession — during which he said that some controllers have been struggling with basic life expenses due to the lack of pay.

When POLITICO read a part of Trump’s social media post to Daniels, he said in response, “I’ll take anything that recognizes these hard-working men and women, but we’ll work with the administration on any issues that are out there.”

“Air traffic controllers have continued to show up during this shutdown,” Daniels added. “Every single day, they absolutely not only deserve their pay, they deserve to be recognized for what’s going on.”

He added that the workforce “should not be the political pawn” during a shutdown.

Trump said that for controllers who “did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”

“You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record,” Trump said. “If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind! You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering.”

The administration aims to revamp the national aviation system’s aging infrastructure and technology using roughly $12.5 billion from this summer’s Republican domestic policy package.

Pavan Acharya and Cheyanne M. Daniels contributed to this report.