Here’s a novelty: the federal government being used to reward employees who did the right thing in a time of need.
That is, at least, the plan. Both on Truth Social and in a Fox News interview Monday, President Donald Trump promised to give air traffic controllers who stayed on the job without pay during the shutdown $10,000 bonuses for doing so.
In the post, Trump noted that air traffic control employees had been skipping work even though they’ll be given back pay at the end of the shutdown.
From the Associated Press:
The fourth day of the flight restrictions saw airlines scrap over 2,300 flights Monday and more than 1,000 flights set for takeoff Tuesday. Unpaid for more than a month, some air traffic controllers have begun calling out of work, citing stress and the need to take on second jobs.
President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to pressure controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!” He called for a $10,000 bonus for those who’ve stayed on the job and suggested docking pay for those who haven’t.
Rep. Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, ranking member of the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, condemned the president’s remarks, saying controllers deserve appreciation and support — not attacks.
It’s worth noting that Duckworth was not among the Democrat lawmakers who broke ranks to end the shutdown, which she could have done weeks ago and paid every federal employee — including those necessary for the country’s functioning.
It’s also worth noting that this is what the Associated Press decided to highlight: Democrats complaining about Trump’s tone without first pointing out that they’re the ones that initiated this by tying the shutdown to the extension of Obamacare subsidies there was no chance of them getting. The nation’s premier wire service also either didn’t see fit to ask Duckworth or Larsen if there was anything they could have done to get these controllers paid, or didn’t publish the answer if they did.
Do you support Trump giving bonuses to the air traffic controllers who remained faithful throughout the Democrats’ shutdown?
And finally, it’s worth noting that they didn’t publish this part of Trump’s Truth Social post, which noted that there was a definite carrot and stick involved here:
For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax,” I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country. For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU. You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 10:32 AM EST 11/10/25
All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially “docked.” For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the “Democrat Shutdown…
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) November 10, 2025
Trump doubled down on the carrot-and-stick approach during a Fox News interview Monday night with Laura Ingraham, saying the sick-outs over the shutdown wouldn’t be tolerated.
“Look, life is not so easy for anybody,” Trump said. “We should not have had people leaving their jobs. And what I basically did is say that the ones that stayed — and there were a lot of them — I’m sending them a $10,000 bonus.”
Ingraham then asked where the money was coming from.
“I don’t know,” Trump said, shrugging. “I’ll get it from someplace. I always get the money from someplace, regardless.”
Which, if you’ve been following the shutdown and how the administration handled it, is accurate:
🚨 JUST IN: President Trump DOUBLES DOWN — promises to give $10,000 bonuses to Air Traffic Controllers who didn’t call out “sick” during the shutdown
Good. They deserve it.
“I’ll get [the money] from someplace.”
Don’t bet against 47. He’ll make it happen. pic.twitter.com/jo2ZbCBgGt
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 11, 2025
And if the Democrats complain about that, they shouldn’t complain about the effects of their shutdown in the first place — but that’s the point.
The left loves spending money. Loves it. So long as it’s your money, of course. And they’ll spend it on toilet seats for trans-identifying lesbian squirrels, or whatever, but they won’t spend it on keeping essential services open during a shutdown so that you, Mr. and Mrs. America, feel the pain. That was the entire point of this hideous exercise, in fact.
Watch: The same people who were furious over Trump being necessarily critical of the essential workers who decided to sick-out because of the Schumer shutdown are now going to be furious that he rewarded those who acted responsibly. That’s just how it goes in Democrat-land. Actions with consequences? Pfft. Whoever heard of such a triggering macroaggression?
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