Man Wearing MAGA Hat Disrupts, Delays NJ-Bound Flight
NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) -- A man wearing a Make America Great Again hat disrupted and delayed a United flight bound for Newark on Sunday.
Representatives with United said the man aboard United flight 87 "refused to comply with crew member instructions and became increasingly disruptive when asked to deplane the aircraft."
A passenger aboard the flight says the man was upset "he couldn't get an upgrade" and thought he was "entitled to all three seats next to him even though they're assigned to somebody else."
The passenger said the captain and crew members had to ask the man to deplane the aircraft several times. Police were eventually called and the man was escorted off the plane.
According to the passenger, the man berated some female passengers and crew, right before walking off, calling one passenger "Hillary" and "lesbian."
The flight departed Shanghai approximately three hours late and stopped in San Francisco to recrew as a result.
United released the following statement regarding the incident:
"While boarding United flight 87, from Shanghai to Newark, a customer refused to comply with crew member instructions and became increasingly disruptive when asked to deplane the aircraft. For safety and security reasons, local law enforcement was called to assist and the customer eventually left the aircraft on his own accord. The flight departed Shanghai approximately three hours late and stopped in San Francisco to recrew as a result. We're grateful for the patience shown by our customers who endured the disruptive behavior of this passenger, as well as the exceptional poise and professionalism of our flight crew."
