Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged the FBI on Tuesday to bar all rioters identified in the pro-Trump mob that breached the Capitol from boarding commercial flights, the AP first reported and the agency confirmed in a statement.
Why it matters: Placing people on the FBI's federal no-fly list means the government believes they pose "a threat of committing terrorism," since the list is a subset of the agency's Terrorist Watchlist created after 9/11.
What they're saying: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) president Sara Nelson called on Friday for participants in the lethal attack to be disqualified "from the freedom of flight," saying that the "mob mentality behavior" seen on flights into D.C. "threatened the safety and security of every single person on board. "
- An FBI spokesperson confirmed that the agency had received Schumer's letter, but did not comment on if the agency is considering further action.
- A TSA spokesperson referred Axios to the agency's statement on Monday, which says that extra law enforcement and canine units have been stationed at the three airports serving D.C. Enhanced security will remain through Biden's inauguration, the agency said.
- Schumer's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Flashback: Pro-Trump supporters flying to Washington, D.C. from Dallas the night before the Capitol siege were filmed shouting obscenities at a fellow traveler while a large Trump logo was projected on the plane's ceiling.
