Just in: Democrats’ Government Shutdown Chaos Brings LAX to a Standstill | The Gateway Pundit

The consequences of the Democrats’ reckless shutdown strategy became painfully clear on Sunday morning when Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest travel hubs in the world, was forced into a complete ground stop. 

The crisis was not caused by weather, mechanical failures, or a terrorist threat—it was caused by politics. 

After 26 days without a budget, the shutdown has pushed America’s air traffic system to the brink, grounding flights and stranding thousands of passengers because Democrats refuse to come to the table and fund essential government functions.

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The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a shortage of air traffic controllers in Southern California led to the halt in operations beginning around 8:42 a.m. Pacific Time. 

With controllers working unpaid and enduring weeks of fatigue, safety could no longer be guaranteed. 

As a result, incoming flights to LAX were stopped entirely. Passengers already in the air were rerouted, while those waiting on the ground experienced delays averaging 49 minutes, with some lasting as long as 87 minutes.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the disruption at LAX could ripple nationwide if the shutdown continues. 

The shutdown is now directly undermining the National Airspace System—the very foundation of American travel and commerce. 

Airlines, businesses, and families are paying the price for partisan games in Washington.

The blame lies squarely with Democrats, who have refused to negotiate responsibly and insist on holding critical government operations hostage to push their bloated spending priorities. 

Rather than securing our borders, funding our military, and ensuring basic government services continue uninterrupted, they are demanding billions for wasteful pet projects. 

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Their approach is simple: obstruct, delay, and exploit chaos to score political points against Republicans.

Republicans have repeatedly offered reasonable proposals to reopen the government while addressing national priorities, but Democrats have walked away every time. Instead of protecting the American people, they are willing to risk flight safety, national security, and the financial stability of families living paycheck to paycheck. 

The LAX ground stop is the direct result of Democrat refusal to govern responsibly.

What happened at LAX should serve as a wake-up call. 

The safety of millions of travelers cannot be gambled away because one party prefers brinksmanship to compromise. 

If Democrats truly cared about working Americans, they would end this shutdown immediately and stop using federal employees and taxpayers as pawns in their political theater.

Until then, every delayed flight, every missed connection, and every stranded passenger at airports like LAX will stand as a reminder that Democrats chose politics over people.