By — Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Seung Min Kim, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-breaks-silence-on-nationwide-ground-stop-and-demands-more-money-from-congress Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump breaks silence on nationwide ground stop and demands more money from Congress Politics Nov 15, 2026 11:32 AM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday broke his silence on the nationwide ground stop that snarled airline travel this weekend, using the incident to push Congress on money to fully upgrade America's air traffic control system. The Republican president has been conspicuously quiet on the ground stop since it began Friday afternoon, instead issuing statements on social media about completely different topics as frustrated passengers were left stranded at airports and his government scrambled with airlines to restore normal travel. READ MORE: Why a problem on the ground can affect flights thousands of miles away among other issues Trump said in a new post on his social media platform that his administration has begun upgrading that system, but that the task should not be done in "drips…
Trump breaks silence on nationwide ground stop and demands more money from Congress
In short
The administration is demanding massive new investments after decades of underfunding left air traffic controllers relying on 50-year-old equipment. The nationwide ground stop began Friday after contractor maintenance overwhelmed critical routing systems in Arkansas and Texas. Although past legislative packages directed tens of billions of dollars to the agency, officials insist those measures represent only a down payment on required overhauls. Normal flight schedules are expected to resume fully by Monday as operations recover.
Key points
- The administration is pressing Congress for major funding to overhaul air traffic control…: The administration is pressing Congress for major funding to overhaul air traffic control systems rather than relying on incremental upgrades.
- Technicians are conducting diagnostics on two secured routers to complete the investigati…: Technicians are conducting diagnostics on two secured routers to complete the investigation into the widespread network failure.
- Flight delays lingered through Sunday due to displaced aircraft and crews, with operation…: Flight delays lingered through Sunday due to displaced aircraft and crews, with operations anticipated to reach full capacity by Monday.