Trump's priorities slammed as he talks entertainment amid US ground stop: 'Such leadership'

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded flights nationwide on Friday for the second time since 9/11 (the other being a 90-minute ground stop in January 2023), and rather than address the transportation crisis taking place in his country, President Donald Trump decided to take to Truth Social to post about revitalising the entertainment industry.

Yep. Seriously.

In a statement announcing the 4pm ground stop, the FAA said it was issued “following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers”.

It was lifted at 8:15pm ET.

Yet instead of talking about the major aviation issue, Trump opted to talk about Hollywood and the entertainment industry.

He wrote: “I am working with Senator Tim Scott and, believe it or not, Senator Adam Schiff … and many others, both Republican and Democrat, on the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act. The support and popularity of doing this, and bringing Entertainment back to the United States of America, has been unbelievable!

“Hollywood, and so many other places, have been virtually ‘emptied out’ by the Tax Incentives, and much more, given by other Countries. Everyone feels strongly about the Motion Picture and Television Industry - and so do I, and we all want to save it.

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“It was MADE IN AMERICA, and must STAY IN AMERICA. The Entertainment Industry has largely moved to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries, but the actors, producers, and all others involved want to come back home!

“Importantly, hundreds of thousands of Blue Collar Workers will be positively affected, BIG TIME, by the passage of this Bill. The amount of money spent on these Tax Incentives will be made up tenfold by the money pouring into the Treasury's coffers.

“Meetings are being set up, routinely, with the Leaders of both Parties in order to, GET THIS DONE! It is a very Bipartisan undertaking, especially in that so much of the money being lost to other countries is coming out of the Blue States. Hopefully Republicans and Democrats will get together and finalize this already very actively negotiated Legislation.

“It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit all of America. MAKE OUR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GREAT AGAIN!”

Needless to say, X/Twitter users weren’t impressed, with California governor Gavin Newsom's press office writing on the platform: “Worth noting: The President, who goes on unhinged posting sprees at all hours of the day and night about the most petty, hateful, trivial nonsense, has somehow found nothing to say about a frightening nationwide aviation ground stop that has stranded Americans for hours. Not a single word of reassurance, or a word of concern. Nothing. You’d think he could spare 30 seconds between grievances to reassure the American people”:

“In the middle of a nationwide ground hold, Trump is posting on Truth Social about his work on ‘the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act,” wrote Joyce Vance, former US attorney for the northern district of Alabama:

Content creator and Democrat Harry Sisson wrote: “The utter incompetence of the Trump regime is on full display tonight. Nationwide ground stop and there’s no communication, barely any updates, conflicting information. These people are useless”:

“Such leadership,” activist and author Amy Siskind said sarcastically:

Self-proclaimed “weather nerd” James Pettus tweeted: “FAA is failing and this is what our president has to say”:

And YouTuber Mark Slapinski said: “Trump decided to finally show some leadership and released a statement on the plane situation. Just kidding, he posted an incoherent rant about movies”:

Just ‘plane’ pathetic (sorry)…

Why not read…?

• Trump's Truth Social post backfires instantly amid midterm results
• Trump just suggested his popularity is ‘higher now’ after midterms

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