President Donald Trump has unleashed a blistering all-caps tirade, lashing out at federal air traffic controllers for taking time off work during the government shutdown.
The 79-year-old president accused some of the workers of being disloyal “complainers” while promising hefty cash bonuses for those he deemed “GREAT PATRIOTS.”
“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!” Trump wrote on Monday morning as the Senate approved a short-term funding measure that will keep the government operating through January 30. “Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’”
The shutdown had forced thousands of federal employees—including FAA staff—to go without pay. But Trump used his post not to empathize with workers missing paychecks before the holidays, instead singling out those who stayed on the job as heroes.
“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,” Trump wrote.
He followed that up with a threat for others: “For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off… I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU.”
The president’s message—peppered with the classic mix of capital letters and exclamation points—also delivered the usual jab at his political rivals. Trump accused Democrats of orchestrating the shutdown to “hurt our Country,” and warned that disloyal workers should “leave service… with NO payment or severance of any kind.”
“You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots,” he added.
The president also claimed that his administration was in the process of ordering “Brand New State of the Art Equipment” for the FAA, taking a swipe at the previous White House for having “no idea what they were doing.”
The rant comes after the shutdown began to affect air travel nationwide. FAA sources have reported growing absences among controllers, with some forced to seek temporary work to cover basic expenses. Some waited tables, others delivered food for DoorDash or drove for Uber, Reuters reported last month.
In his post, Trump closed with a familiar flourish: “To our great American Patriots, GOD BLESS YOU—I won’t be able to send your money fast enough!”
For everyone else, the message was clear. “REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
