Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is calling out what she describes as a "pattern of corruption" in the Trump administration, pointing to a series of policy moves that she says directly benefited companies that donated $1 million to the President's inauguration fund.
In a post on X Wednesday, Warren highlighted that United Airlines Holdings Inc. (UAL) and Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) each gave $1 million to the Trump Inauguration Fund. "Trump ended flight cancelation compensation rules," she wrote, referring to a rule that would have required airlines to compensate passengers with cash refunds for canceled or severely delayed flights. While that particular rule remains in effect, the administration rescinded a separate rule that would have mandated additional compensation, including hotel bookings and meals.
Warren also took aim at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) enforcement action against Toyota Motor Corp. (TM). The CFPB had ordered Toyota's financing arm, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation, to refund borrowers who were overcharged due to being unable to cancel product bundles that inflated their monthly car loan payments. The agency had imposed $60 million in consumer redress and penalties. But according to Warren, the Trump administration withdrew the action after Toyota donated $1 million. "It's a pattern of corruption that costs you money," she said.
The White House, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Toyota did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Separately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed changes to speed up commercial space launch licenses by allowing companies to bypass 13 federal and environmental protection laws. The agency says the move will "simplify and expedite" licensing, but critics see it as another example of deregulation that could favor well-connected donors.
