DONALD Trump supporters who heckled Utah Sen Mitt Romney and South Carolina Sen Lindsey Graham before their flights last week have been banned by Delta Airlines.
The airline also announced it will be prohibiting all guns in checked baggage on flights to Washington DC until after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.
Romney, who was the sole Republican senator to vote to oust President Trump following his impeachment, was waiting for a flight from Salt Lake City to DC when he was harassed by a Trump supporter.
Dozens of people on a flight are also heard shouting “traitor” at a person believed to be Romney, although he is not seen in the clip.
Graham was confronted by Trump supporters Friday as he was preparing to leave DC at the Reagan International Airport and was called a “traitor to the country”.
Ed Bastian, the chief executive of Delta Airlines, said the company had now placed 880 people on its no-fly list for not complying with its mask policy while others were banned from flying with the airline for harassing passengers or unruly behaviour in connection to the US election result.
Bastian also said the airline would prohibit passengers from travelling to DC with guns, staring this weekend.
He told CNBC Thursday morning: “We're all on high alert based on the events over the last couple of weeks up in Washington.”
Only law enforcement officials will be exempt from the ban.
Bastian added that other security measures would be put in place at the airports and planes.
Romney was heckled and verbally abused by Trump fans ahead of the Save America rally last week.
In a video that went viral a woman is heard screaming “let him know what we think” while others, who have their masks pulled down, chant “traitor” and “traitor Mitt” from their seats.
Although Romney cannot be seen in the footage it is believed he was sitting further ahead in the plane.
Trump supporters on a flight from Texas to DC also caused chaos by chanting, cheering and arguing.
In the video someone displays a “Trump 2020” projection before the lights in the cabin are turned on.
During the commotion people can be heard shouting at each other with one saying: “Shut the hell up.”
Others can be heard claiming that someone on the flight “threatened” them but it is unclear what happened.
The shocking events on Capitol Hill unfurled the following day as MAGA supporters stormed the building and took it over, as lawmakers and staff fled.
During the violence five people were killed, including a Capitol Police officer.
Vocal Trump supporters also confronted Sen Graham at Reagan Airport last Friday.
Graham had backed down on a pledge he made to contest the Electoral College certification on Wednesday after unsubstantiated claims had been made about fraudulent voting.
The footage shows Graham, surrounded by cops, walking down a corridor at the airport when someone yells out: “You traitor.”
“Lindsey Graham, you are a traitor to the country,” someone screams. “You know it was rigged, you know it was rigged.”
Graham appears to say something to his accuser but his reply is inaudible.
“You garbage human being,” someone yells. “It's gonna be like this forever wherever you go for the rest of your life.”
“Audit the vote. Audit the vote. Audit the vote. Audit the vote. Piece of s**t,'” someone says as Graham keeps walking along.
People then pick up the chanting of “audit the vote” and “audit our vote” before someone screams “you son of a b***h”.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Trump supporters who invaded the US Capitol should be banned from flying and included on a government no-fly list.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday it will be implementing a new “zero tolerance” policy on unruly airline passengers following a number of incidents involving Trump supporters.
FAA chief Steve Dickson signed an order directing the agency to impose harsh sanction any passenger who is disruptive on a flight or who fails to follow the instructions of airline staff.
The number of passengers banned from US airlines is now more than 2,700, with dozens of those bans having been handed out in the eight days since the January 6 riot.
Dickson said any passenger found to be in breach of the new order could face fines of up to $35,000 and possible jail time.
He added no warning letters would be issued and it would not negotiate penalties.
“We will no longer adjudicate certain of these unruly passenger cases with counseling or warnings. We're going to go straight to enforcement,' Dickson affirmed.
“We've seen a disturbing increase in these incidents…. We'll take the strongest possible enforcement action against any passenger who engages in it.”
Dickson added the agency would keep it’s new program in place until at least March 30.
He added the FAA may in some cases refer incidents for criminal prosecution to the Justice Department, which could seek sentences of up to 20 years for flight disturbances.
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