Delta Air Lines is under scrutiny after social media users claimed the airline removed an elderly man from a flight for wearing a “MAGA” hat, but that’s nothing but fake news.
Fact Check: Delta Did Not Remove Passenger For MAGA Hat, Despite Viral Claims
Viral posts across social media claimed that an elderly man was forcibly removed from a Delta flight because he wore a “Make America Great Again” hat, with a video showing the confrontation. But the evidence doesn’t support the extreme version of the claim. Instead, the man was not removed for the hat itself, which was red but said, “Build Back Better My Ass,” not “Make America Great Again.”
(“Build Back Better” was the name the Biden administration used for its policies to “rebuild the backbone of the country – the middle class.”)
What appears to have happened: the passenger was asked to deplane after refusing to remove his profane hat. Delta’s policies do allow the removal of passengers who create disruption or refuse to follow crew instructions. He wasn’t removed for the hat itself, but becuase he defied the captain’s order to take it off.
As the man complains about being removed for his hat, the captain says:
“Not because of your hat, it’s because you’re not complying with the instruction…
“I’m giving you the option, okay. Either you keep the hat off and you follow the instructions of the flight attendants, because in the case of an emergency. How do I know, based on this simple little issue, that you would follow their instructions in an emergency?”
What a despicable lie from the person who posted this video…
And the captain really went out of his way to explain that this was not politically motivated, even saying:
“I’m probably more ultra MAGA than you are.”
In today’s climate, stories about ideological targeting attract immediate attention and traction. A claim that someone was removed for a political symbol is emotionally powerful and primed for virality. Many users saw the images or video, assumed motive, and shared without waiting for confirmation….over four million times. The spreading narrative, combined with outrage over perceived bias, made it hard for skeptics to cut through.
But the story here is simple: a man was told to remove his hat, refused, and was rightfully thrown off becuase of it.
CONCLUSION
The viral claim that Delta booted a man just because of a MAGA hat doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. There is no evidence Delta ejected him solely over his headwear. Instead, we have a dotard who refused to remove his vulgar hat when asked. Before we express outrage, we should always dig deeper, especially in a polarized era where every incident is weaponized. Here, the controversy is the same as always: no profanity on your clothing and obey reasonable crewmember instructions.
You’re being disingenuous if you think this didn’t START because the stewardess (i said what i said), didn’t get bent over his obvious political leanings. And, I’ve seen far worse “profanity”.. even vulgarity on plants and in airports. They made this into an issue when it didn’t need to be.
I’ve long been bipartisan in my outrage over profanity on airplanes.
https://liveandletsfly.com/?s=profanity
then you are a socialist or gender fluid just like the pilot
Delta loves MAGA.
They donated a ton to congresspeople who denied the 2020 election results… it’s been a pleasure not flying them since.
any company that you say is ultra MAGA, would not have a DEI program… NOT WOULD THEIR CAPTAIN BE WEARING MAKEUP, OR DIAMOND STUD EARRINGS OR HAVE NAIL TIPS ON… HE IS A FLAMER
The captain said what?! He’s ultra maga?!
That is a very weird thing to say.
Guy looks like your typical idiot boomer, probably wears white new balance sneakers and jean shorts out in public as well while shopping at costco. I can’t wait till that entire generation is dead and buried.
Wins the comments. Boomers love to boom, then gaslight and play victim when their stupid FAFO ends up with actual consequences. Judging by the demographic of trump voters and their healthcare “beliefs” we should be rid of them soon. May they keep feeding themselves Ivermectin and find their way to an early grave.
Hear hear! I’m a (non-Ivermectin and bleach fanatic) Boomer and I support your statement – most of my peers are as stupid as a pile of rocks. Whatever happened to the broad-minded, peace-loving hippies of yesteryear? They did not age gracefully.
I’m a 68 year old woman who fought and marched to secure women’s rights. I’m still fighting and marching. Nice of you to stereotype an entire generation and wish us dead. Oh, and we were also the hippies. You can only dream of being that cool. There are nasty types in all generations. Mind how you are representing yours.
Well now, aren’t you quite the horrid Godless soul now aren’t you… horrid human period.
Hmm. I once wore a red Canadian hat, and others thought it was a MAGA hat. Someone also wore a hat that said “Relax, it’s just a red hat”. That got me laughing.
@ Kkat. What a lovely thing to say. You must be so proud you were hatched from a reptile egg.
Nah. My guess is that KKat’s just upset to see most of our parents & grandparents – the ones who took us to church & taught us NOT to be bullies – become SO transfixed with a lying criminal pervert that they’ve now sold us & our kids into slavery to the Ultra-Rich.
The folks we once thought of as decent people have gone all “Eff your feelings!” b/c, as it turned out, they were in favor of racism once they saw a way to profit from it. They seemingly got tired of pretending otherwise, once DJT started handing out bigotry hallpasses.
Now, these old folks are ALL FOR protecting “grapers” & “pdf files” and we can’t even use the REAL words to discuss those crimes. If we do, we’ll be silenced, one way or another.
Criminals know that the inability to discuss a problem means it won’t be addressed or resolved anytime soon. Many of us have daughters, and are Terrified of what the future may hold for them, in a land where horny incels seek power by removing rights for the female portion of the population.
Here’s hoping there truly IS a God & a Jesus to FAIRLY judge so many putrid souls.
To the actually GOOD Boomers who saw through the lies & chose NOT to vote away our freedoms – my own beloved inlaws among them – I’m so sorry you’ve been lumped together with this AWFUL group of people. That’s so unfair.
God bless those who’ve retained their ethics, their compassion for others, and held fast to their sense of human decency, as well as TRUE Patriotism (which DOESN’T bend to the demands of ANY olygarch!). I wish more of your generation had done the same.
Instead, may *those* folks (roughly 70% of the Boomer population & the youngsters whose minds they’ve polluted with lies) spend ALL ETERNITY with Dirty Don & his Uncle Vlad.
Today’s hate-spreading phony “Christians” forgot that God gave us FREEDOM of choice. It came with a caveat, though. God knows Exactly Why we all make the choices we do. He won’t be swayed by greed, nor fooled by “alternative facts” (aka lies). And we ALL *will* be judged accordingly.
MAGA folks had best start praying for a LOVING, FORGIVING GOD. That maytheir ONLY hope for Salvation, after all their misdeeds & rotten choices, meant to intentionally HURT others. That’s the OPPOSITE of Jesus’ instructions, btw. Good luck when you meet Him.
May PEACE & TRUTH be with you till then.
Oh Wanda, so well said!
When I saw the video and he didn’t show exactly what was written on the hat I thought something other than “Make America Great Again” is probably on there. I also think the Captain was very smart and made an excellent point. Otherwise reasonable people (of all political persuasions) become petulant toddlers when they get inside a metal tube even before it is in the air and pressurized. If you can’t follow a reasonable request to remove a hat that has profanity, then how can the captain know that you won’t follow a safety instruction at 35,000 feet and turn into a male Karen shouting about “my rights” or something else? The captain really gave him every chance. I also love how the Captain’s name tag say “P. LANE” He was destined to fly since the day he was born.
I’m not sure that “My Ass” is profane but some might consider it offensive. Each airline sets its own standards and they are spelled out in the contract of carriage (which very few people read!). Whether the passenger agrees or not with the assessment of his hat, the FARs clearly state that he must obey (rightly or wrongly) with crew instructions. He was asked (which gave him an opportunity to comply) and then told (which gives him no options). He disobeyed the direct order by the captain who IS the final arbiter (whether one agrees or not) when one crosses the threshold of the aircraft. Buh bye, adios, farewell and hopefully will be banned for a period of time.
Well clearly the hat was in reference to a jack ass penguin or donkey.
I love the Capt’s name tag: P. Lane i.e. plane amazing name for a pilot.
Let’s be clear. You’re just splitting hairs when you say it’s not a MAGA hat. It IS a MAGA hat in the sense that it is showing support for the president. Also the man did comply in removing the hat, but another passenger asked him to put it on for a picture so that they could do a post about it. The flight attendant saw this and took it as non compliance and looped in the Captain of the plane. My issues with this are many. 1) I always wear a hat outside of the house because I have a receding hairline, a bald spot, and a huge age spot – so I’m not taking off my hat. 2) I fly Delta pretty regularly (Skymiles member) and have seen many “inappropriate” things. A hat that said “Fuck Cancer” – no one blinked. A t-shirt that had a picture of DeNiro that said “Fuck Trump” – and that was fine. A young lady wearing a het that read “Coffee Slut” – perfectly fine. But “Build Back Better My Ass” is an issue? 3) I don’t believe that anyone had the right to tell him to remove his hat.
I disagree, but I’d add that every one of the counterexamples you mentioned are grounds for removal as well – the probelm is not the ideoloy, but the bad lanuage.
https://liveandletsfly.com/airline-offensive-clothing/
Watch the video again… the issue was coming down from the Captain so hard because he appear to be a flamer. He had face makeup, he had nail tips on, and he had diamond ear studs in, and was very fem… he probably has ladies undergarments on while he flys…
If it said “butt” or donkey then what??
In my book it WAS a MAGA hat… the reason the pilot was so offended is because he is evidently gender fluid. His nails had tip on them,… he was wearing diamond stud earrings, and had makeup on that was quite female leaning. HE was probably wearing womens underwear why he flys… he is definitely part of their DEI program, and guess what…I WILL NEVER GIVE DELTA ANY OF MY BUSINESS.