Trump confirms he's weighing a taxpayer takeover of Spirit Airlines "for the right price"

U.S. Trump confirms he's weighing a taxpayer takeover of Spirit Airlines "for the right price" Updated on: April 23, 2026 / 9:26 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google President Trump said Thursday that he was weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines with the intent of reselling the struggling budget carrier after oil prices drop.The president confirmed his continued interest in offering Spirit a financial lifeline after a lawyer told a U.S. Bankruptcy Court that the airline was in advanced talks with the U.S. government on a financing deal that would allow Spirit to emerge from Chapter 11 protection. "They have some good aircraft and good assets, and when the prices of oil goes down, we'll sell it for a profit," Mr. Trump said, speaking at an unrelated Oval Office event. "I'd love to be able to save those jobs. I'd love to be able to save an airline.""And we're looking, if we could get it for the right price, I'd do it to save the jobs," the president said.Mr. Trump stoked speculation of a deal to save Spirit on Tuesday when he encouraged a buyer to rescue the airline and suggested the federal government could help keep it afloat. The White House has attempted to blame Spirit's predicament on the Biden administration, which in 2023 sued to stop JetBlue Airways from buying Spirit for $3.8 billion. A little more than a year before Mr. Trump replaced Joe Biden as president, a federal judge in Dallas blocked a proposed Spirit-JetBlue merger, saying it would drive up airfares for passengers. The president said he had "a smart person" in mind who could potentially run Spirit and that he believed the airline could get back on solid financial footing. "And they have some very good slots too, which are pretty valuable," the president added, referring to scheduled times allocated for airlines to take off or land at airports when demand exceeds available capacity.Following the president's comments Thursday, Spirit Airlines President & CEO Dave Davi...