Trump Says He Wants the U.S. to Buy Spirit: Where Things Stand on the Bailout
Photo Credit: President Donald J. Trump signing an Executive Order creating an anti-fraud task force on Monday, March 16, 2026, in the Oval Office. Courtesy of the White House/Flickr / Molly Riley
Skift Take
As the terms of a bailout for Spirit are being finalized, President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was interested in the U.S. buying the airline and selling it for a profit once oil prices drop.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he wanted the U.S. to buy Spirit Airlines, shortly after it became public that the embattled ultra-low-cost carrier was negotiating a deal with the White House to stave off a liquidation.
“We’re thinking about it … helping them out, meaning bailing them out or buying them,” Trump said during an event at the Oval Office. “I think we just buy it.”
Trump said if the U.S. owned Spirit, it would sell the carrier once the price of oil falls. High fuel prices, Spirit’s second-largest expense, have made it difficult for the company to exit its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
“We’d be getting it virtually debt free,” Trump said. “They have some good aircraft, some good assets. When the price of oil goes down, we’ll sell it for a profit. I’d
