Trump says 'maybe' the federal government should help Spirit Airlines
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"I'd love somebody to buy Spirit," Trump said. "Maybe the federal government should help that one out." Kevin Carter/Getty Images 2026-04-21T14:12:57.256Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.
Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Trump floated some form of federal "help" for Spirit Airlines on Tuesday. The low-cost airline has long struggled to turn a profit, and oil prices may be making it worse. "I'd love somebody to buy Spirit Airlines," Trump said. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. What challenges does Spirit Airlines face? What are the risks of a Spirit collapse? What are the pros and cons of a merger? How do oil prices impact airlines? How does federal aid affect competition? Trump sounds open to the idea of the federal government helping the beleaguered Spirit Airlines. Loading audio narration... "I'd love somebody to buy Spirit… you know, Spirit's in trouble," Trump told CNBC on Tuesday. "Maybe the federal government should help that one out. You know, I told my people."Trump didn't specify what he might have in mind, and neither Spirit nor the White House immediately responded to a request for comment. Trump: "I'd love somebody to buy Spirit Airlines. Maybe the federal government should help that one out. I told my people." pic.twitter.com/YS1GAMPeQ3— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2026 Multiple outlets have reported in recent days that Spirit has floated offering the federal government a stake in the company to avoid going out of business.The US government took a roughly 10% stake in Intel last year, and Trump and his administration have floated making similar transactions with other companies. Spirit, an ultra-low-cost carrier, has long struggled to turn a profit, and oil price spikes in the wake of the war in Iran have likely added to the company's financial challenges as jet fuel costs rise.If Spirit were to collapse, tickets booked with the airline would likely become worthless. Trump brought up the idea unprompted when asked about reports of a potential merger between United Airlines and American Airlines, a prospect that American denied in a statement last week."While changes in the broader airline marketplace may be necessary, a combination with United would be negative for competition and for consumers," American Airlines said in a statement. Trump said he wouldn't be supportive of such a merger anyway, and that American is "doing fine" while United is "doing very well.""I don't like having them merge," Trump said.