Lewis Black on Lack of Air Traffic Controllers: Listen, America ... We Can’t All Be TikTok Influencers

[Clip starts JANSING The ░░░░░░░░ president of the National ░░░░░░░░ Traffic Controllers Association had ░░░░░░░░ stark warning RINALDI Unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ 2025 the United States ░░░░░░░░ system is no longer ░░░░░░░░ the gold standard around ░░░░░░░░ world Clip ends BLACK ░░░░░░░░ no sh t What ░░░░░░░░ are you going to ░░░░░░░░ me Alec Baldwin is ░░░░░░░░ longer the gold standard ░░░░░░░░ workplace safety Laughter And ░░░░░░░░ I m no aviation ░░░░░░░░ expert but I m ░░░░░░░░ sure the plane is ░░░░░░░░ to land right side ░░░░░░░░ not splayed on its ░░░░░░░░ like its waiting for ░░░░░░░░ happy ending Oh Svetlana ░░░░░░░░ landing gear isn t ░░░░░░░░ to tickle itself So ░░░░░░░░ s safe to say ░░░░░░░░ travel is in rougher ░░░░░░░░ than RFK Jr s ░░░░░░░░ And all of these ░░░░░░░░ are no coincidence since ░░░░░░░░ treats its air traffic ░░░░░░░░ like crap Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ Air traffic controllers are ░░░░░░░░ tremendous stress right now ░░░░░░░░ controllers working mandatory overtime ░░░░░░░░ day weeks of 10 ░░░░░░░░ shifts Staffing across the ░░░░░░░░ is a huge and ░░░░░░░░ problem Reporter The country ░░░░░░░░ still short of some ░░░░░░░░ 000 4 000 air ░░░░░░░░ controllers Clip ends BLACK ░░░░░░░░ is this possible There ░░░░░░░░ 300 million people in ░░░░░░░░ country and we can ░░░░░░░░ find any more air ░░░░░░░░ controllers Listen America some ░░░░░░░░ you need to help ░░░░░░░░ airplanes We can t ░░░░░░░░ be TikTok influencers and ░░░░░░░░ was doing it first ░░░░░░░░ Cheering and Applause What ░░░░░░░░ fam Remember to smash ░░░░░░░░ like button or I ░░░░░░░░ kill myself Wow 3 ░░░░░░░░ likes Joke s on ░░░░░░░░ I m still going ░░░░░░░░ kill myself So yes ░░░░░░░░ seems like air traffic ░░░░░░░░ are in a wee ░░░░░░░░ of trouble Luckily inbred ░░░░░░░░ Mercury is here to ░░░░░░░░ Clip starts Reporter voice ░░░░░░░░ Critics say issues could ░░░░░░░░ worse with recent firings ░░░░░░░░ 400 FAA staff members ░░░░░░░░ Elon Musk and the ░░░░░░░░ Administration s DOGE Clip ░░░░░░░░ BLACK Good God Elon ░░░░░░░░ are you doing How ░░░░░░░░ I put this in ░░░░░░░░ way you understand You ░░░░░░░░ supposed to keep the ░░░░░░░░ up here!”
(Audience reacts)