On Thursday, the nation’s four major airlines came together to embrace the Republican position that the government shutdown should end with a clean continuing resolution. However, NBC’s Today was the only Friday morning show to report this. By contrast, CBS Mornings made it seem as if the airlines wanted squabbling siblings to just get along, while ABC’s Good Morning America was content to only talk about generic travel chaos.
While Friday may have been Halloween, CBS correspondent Cristian Benavides was quick to point out that the Thanksgiving travel period is not that far away, “It comes as around 13,000 air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday, and they could miss at least two more by Thanksgiving if the stalemate continues.”
After a clip of Vice President JD Vance lamenting air traffic controllers are currently going without pay, Benavides echoed his previous point, “And with more controllers calling out sick and the holidays right around the corner, Transportation Sean Duffy had this stark warning Thursday.”
Following a video of Duffy warning of “a disaster in aviation,” Benavides reported, “Several major airlines have called for Congress to reopen the government. Some of them have been providing food assistance and other sort of support to federal aviation employees who are currently working without pay.”
That makes it sound like the industry is urging the parties to make a deal when it is really demanding Democrats give up. By contrast, NBC correspondent Tom Costello portrayed the airlines’ position more fully, “And now the nation's four largest airlines are weighing in, endorsing what's known as a clean resolution, a CR, a funding bill focused solely on opening the government, also supported by Republicans.”
NBC then played a clip of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby addressing the health care angle of the shutdown Democrats have been keen to push, “Get that negotiation done behind closed doors without the pressure, without putting the American workers and the American economy at risk.”
Meanwhile, over at ABC, correspondent Mola Lenghi was not interested in even mentioning the airlines, reporting in part that:
Short staffing due to government shutdown, that is contributing to the problem. For example, in Orlando, they've only been able to accommodate about ten planes per hour, average delays exceeding about four hours per flight there in Orlando and there have been instances there where they have had no air traffic controllers able to receive flights. So, they haven't been able to receive any at times there. Compounding the problem, today will be weather expected throughout the day, especially in the Northeast, where the FAA says we’re expecting to see ground stops, more delays, some more cancellations throughout the day affecting the mid-Atlantic and Northeast along the East Coast there.
Elsewhere on Friday’s GMA, the cast was eager to point to polling that showed Republicans were more to blame for the shutdown than Democrats, but based off reporting like this, perhaps we can see why. The country is about to enter the busy part of the travel calendar, and airports are short-staffed because Democrats are making irrelevant demands, and now ABC and CBS are refusing to cover outsiders demanding they stop the act.
Here are transcripts for the October 31 show:
ABC Good Morning America
10/31/2025
7:06 AM ET
MOLA LENGHI: Short staffing due to government shutdown, that is contributing to the problem. For example, in Orlando, they've only been able to accommodate about ten planes per hour, average delays exceeding about four hours per flight there in Orlando and there have been instances there where they have had no air traffic controllers able to receive flights. So, they haven't been able to receive any at times there. Compounding the problem, today will be weather expected throughout the day, especially in the Northeast, where the FAA says we’re expecting to see ground stops, more delays, some more cancellations throughout the day affecting the mid-Atlantic and Northeast along the East Coast there.
***
CBS Mornings
10/31/2025
7:05 AM ET
CRISTIAN BENAVIDES: It comes as around 13,000 air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck on Tuesday, and they could miss at least two more by Thanksgiving if the stalemate continues.
JD VANCE: I worry about the air traffic controllers who, of course, make this entire system extra safe. I worry about them [jump cut] more worried about their credit card bill than they should be because they’re not getting a paycheck.
BENAVIDES: And with more controllers calling out sick and the holidays right around the corner, Transportation Sean Duffy had this stark warning Thursday.
SEAN DUFFY: Our traffic will be snarled, right. It will be a disaster in aviation.
BENAVIDES: Several major airlines have called for Congress to reopen the government. Some of them have been providing food assistance and other sort of support to federal aviation employees who are currently working without pay.
***
NBC Today
10/31/2025
7:12 AM ET
TOM COSTELLO: Republicans warn Americans could face travel chaos by Thanksgiving.
JD VANCE: Look, it could be a disaster. It really could be.
COSTELLO: And now the nation's four largest airlines are weighing in, endorsing what's known as a clean resolution, a CR, a funding bill focused solely on opening the government, also supported by Republicans.
SCOTT KIRBY: Get that negotiation done behind closed doors without the pressure, without putting the American workers and the American economy at risk.
