In the wake of crippling jet fuel costs, Spirit Airlines has gone out of business, disrupting passengers’ travel plans, leaving 15,000 employees facing uncertainty and creating a major void in the budget travel market.

Progressive politicians have already rushed to blame President Donald Trump. After all, his war in Iran helped trigger the spike in jet fuel prices that pushed struggling airlines even closer to the brink.

But Spirit’s downfall cannot be blamed on fuel prices alone. Under the Biden administration, Spirit had a merger in place with JetBlue Airways that could have offered the company a financial lifeline. Instead, progressive antitrust ideology blocked the deal in 2024. Rather than allowing Spirit to consolidate into a stronger entity, Democrats left the airline stranded in financial limbo until the latest crisis finished it off.

Spirit Airlines' demise was ensured by Democrats

Spirit’s collapse might not have been entirely preventable, but Democratic lawmakers helped ensure it by blocking the airline’s merger with JetBlue.

The recent spike in jet fuel prices was merely the final, albeit crushing, blow. Spirit had been financially unstable since the COVID-19 pandemic, struggling for years to stay afloat. The company filed for bankruptcy protection, explored multiple survival strategies and ultimately accepted a........

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