4 Lawmakers, an Unruly Passenger, and a Forced Landing

A flight from Phoenix to Washington, DC, carrying four members of Congress was forced to divert to Kansas City, Missouri, after a passenger disrupted the journey by loudly declaring, "We live in a fascist state." The American Airlines flight, which included Arizona Republicans Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Eli Crane, as well as Democrat Greg Stanton, was en route to the capital for a crucial vote on ending the government shutdown when the incident occurred, per WJLA.

The disturbance prompted an emergency landing after about 2 1/2 hours in the air, according to flight tracking data. Law enforcement met the plane upon arrival, and the unruly passenger—a woman—was escorted off, the airline says, per KSHB 41. No injuries were reported, and the airline thanked customers for their patience and commended the crew's professionalism.

After the interruption, the flight continued to its destination without further incident. Rep. Stanton later referenced the diversion on social media, noting that none of his colleagues was responsible for the disruption and took a little shot at the GOP faction to which his travel companions belong. "None of my colleagues is the disruptor," he wrote on X. "Freedom Caucus losing its mojo."