commentary Spirit Airlines could get a $500M government bailout. Even MAGA diehards think it's a bad idea Published April 28, 2026 9:25AM (EDT) President Donald Trump wants to bailout — and run — the struggling Spirit Airlines (Kevin Carter/Getty Images) It looks like Donald Trump is taking on yet another side gig. In addition to his day jobs running the most powerful nation on earth, overseeing his family’s fortune and serving as general contractor for the rebuilding of the White House and Washington, D.C., he is taking on yet another full-time responsibility. The president plans to take over America’s worst airline, turn it around and sell it for a profit. If there’s a more perfect illustration of the Trump era, I don’t know what it would be. Hemorrhaging cash and in bankruptcy court, Spirit Airlines is on the brink of liquidation. The nation’s largest budget airline has been struggling for years and has been forced to drastically downsize by selling planes and cutting routes .…