Former President Joe Biden is facing criticism from conservative commentators following the collapse of Spirit Airlines, with some blaming him for letting "thousands of workers lose their job." The debate centers on a January 2024 decision by the Department of Justice to halt a proposed $3.8 billion merger between Spirit and JetBlue Airways, a move regulators said was necessary to preserve competition in the budget travel market. Biden DOJ's decision and its aftermath In early 2024, the Biden administration's Justice Department blocked the JetBlue-Spirit merger deal on antitrust grounds.