A Democratic politician called for federal government to 'get its sh*t together' after airports are slammed by travelers returning to the US
- Travelers arriving in the US this weekend have faced lengthy waits in crowded areas at many of the nation's airports, as citizens flocked back in wake of the coronavirus pandemic and recent travel bans.
- Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid the blame on the Trump administration for not preparing for an influx of arrivals, tweeting on Saturday evening "the federal government needs to get its s@#t together. NOW."
- The Democratic governor warned the problem will grow worse Sunday. "There are a larger number of flights with more people coming, and they seem completely unprepared," he said, referring to the Trump administration.
- Pritzker said Sunday he believes the federal government should have increased the number of employees at the airport from customs and border patrol as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid the blame for long waits and crowding at US airports on the Trump administration, saying in a Saturday evening tweet "the federal government needs to get its s@#t together."
American citizens and other travelers arriving in the US waited for hours at several of the nation's aiports, according to numerous reports.
That played out on Saturday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the largest travel hubs in the nation. Hundreds of people were waiting in close proximity for several hours to clear customs - "exactly what you don't want in this pandemic," Pritzker said Sunday on Meet the Press.
The Democratic governor said his state expected an influx of Americans returning to the US after the Trump administration last week announced travel restrictions on Europe.
"So what should have happened, they should have increased the customs and border patrol numbers, and they should have increased the number of CDC personnel on the ground doing those checks," he said. "They did neither of those."
"Today, it's going to be even worse," he added. "There are a larger number of flights with more people coming, and they seem completely unprepared."
When asked if he has received any reassurance of an improved response from the federal government, Pritzker said all he has gotten so far is a White House staffer yelling at him on a Saturday night phone call over his critical tweets.
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