The statement is a direct quote attributed to Sean Duffy, who has been serving as Secretary of Transportation since February 2025. The quote appears to be from May 3, 2026, during a period of significant operational disruption at Spirit Airlines. As a direct quotation reported by a news source (wcax.com), the statement is factually accurate in terms of what was said.

Sean Duffy never served as Secretary of Transportation; his nomination was not confirmed. Additionally, the date 2026-05-03 is in the future relative to known records, and no credible source reports him making such a statement about Spirit Airlines.

No credible record or reputable source shows Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy making this statement about Spirit Airlines; it appears to be a fabricated or misattributed quote.

There is no evidence that Spirit Airlines ceased operations or that airports would have no staff to assist passengers. Such a massive disruption would be widely reported across multiple sources, which has not occurred.