All posts tagged "sean duffy"

Trump official ducks blame after another deadly airline disaster under his watch

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tried to deflect responsibility on Monday after two pilots were killed and dozens more people were injured in a collision at LaGuardia Airport — calling on Congress to increase their funding for air traffic control workers at airports.

Duffy was speaking at a news conference with several New York state and New York City leaders discussing the new details revealed around the moments that led to the fatal collision, which was still under a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. He dodged multiple questions about what happened and attempted to shift the blame.

"Congress needs to do their job," said Duffy, who cited multiple requests to lawmakers to fund air traffic controllers.

"I've been asking the Congress for additional money," Duffy said. "Many of you have reported that we need more money for air traffic control. We are modernizing our system, but we can't fully modernize it until the Congress gives us additional money. It's not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to have the will to finish the funding. I'm not saying that this crash would have been prevented if we had all the equipment deployed, but it's important if we care about air travel safety, we care about having a brand new air traffic control system the best in the world with the best equipment, virtually all of it developed here in America."

Duffy described the staffing conditions at LaGuardia Airport.

"This airport has a target of 37 controllers at LaGuardia," Duffy said. "We have 33 controllers employed and certified at LaGuardia and we have six — seven actually in training, so as our airports go, LaGuardia is a very well-staffed airport. We are a couple controllers short in total, but it is a well-staffed airport."

He added that the air traffic controller was apparently not the only person on the job at the time, although the NTSB investigation is expected to provide more information.

"I did want to clarify, I've heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower, and that is not accurate," Duffy said.

This was the second fatal crash under Duffy's leadership and in President Donald Trump's second administration. Duffy has been accused of putting safety at risk by not addressing the low staffing among air traffic controllers in the United States as calls have grown for his resignation.

Trump official faces mounting calls to resign after yet another airline disaster

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was facing criticism and growing calls to resign on Monday after two pilots were killed and dozens of people were injured during a collision involving an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport.

This was the second fatal crash under Duffy's leadership and in President Donald Trump's second administration, The Daily Beast noted. Duffy has been accused of putting safety at risk by not addressing the low staffing among air traffic controllers in the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration told The Beast that the low staffing concerns were part of the investigation.

Duffy posted on X that he was headed to LaGuardia Airport following the incident, which drew a number of responses and critiques of the Trump administration official.

"Sean Duffy, Elon Musk, Trump cut FAA staff. Now we have three airline disasters in 14 months. None in the previous 16 years. Is there anything Trump touches that doesn't turn to s---?" Doug Dillman, former biochemist, wrote on X.

"You should be doing your job, not running around the country to make Trump praise content for this page," Russell Foster, former Democratic congressional candidate in Texas, wrote on X. "Spend more time working and less time sucking up."

"Ok great. And then what?? How about you all stop fighting with each other so these airports can be fully staffed for the safety of the employees and the traveling public. But who gives a s---right? Keep spreading everyone so thin till they break or something tragic happens," sports reporter Nikki Gist wrote on X.

"You need more controllers. You need to pay them more. And you need to stop the practice of 6-day duty periods with mandatory overtime. The regulations that govern pilot rest should be applied to controllers, too. Outside of that, let's see what the NTSB says about contributing factors, especially those related to the firetruck crossing an active runway," Thomas Larsen, data expert, wrote on X.

Gavin Newsom blasts Transport Secretary for 'delayed flights' after airport exercise idea

California Governor Gavin Newsom has called out Sean Duffy for an idea to make people more active in airports.

The Transport Secretary believes workout areas in airports may improve experiences for travellers. Speaking from Reagan International Airport in Arlington, Virginia, and backed by Health Secretary RFK Jr., Duffy outlined an idea to give travellers a space to perform "pull ups or step ups" in airports across the country.

He said, "Maybe I want a workout area where people might get some blood flowing doing some pull ups or step ups in the airport." This did not sit well with Governor of California Newsom, who suggested Duffy should focus his efforts on keeping flights running.

Newsom wrote on X, "Sean Duffy would like you to do pulls up while he forces you to wait for your delayed flight." To promote the pull ups idea, Duffy and RFK Jr. were spotted on the "Make Travel Family Friendly Again" campaign trail performing pull ups.

Kennedy and Duffy held a pull-up contest near the airport's security line. Kennedy did 20 pull-ups, and Duffy did 10. Political analysts were unconvinced the contest would appeal to the public.

Governor Newsom's Press Office shared a post of Duffy pulling himself up on the bar and writing, "Thank you @SecDuffy this is exactly what we were missing to make airports more pleasant and enjoyable."

Washburn law professor Joseph Mastrosimone wrote, "How much of my money did these two idiots spend today on this nonsense?" CNN producer DJ Judd posted on X, "If there’s one thing the airport experience needs, it’s ego contests from Cabinet Secretaries outside of security!"

The pull ups suggestion comes as Duffy cracks down on travel fashion, with the Transport Secretary wanting passengers to bring back "civility and manners" to air travel.

He said, "Manners don't stop at the gate. Things aren't what they used to be. Let's bring civility and manners back. Ask yourself, are you helping a pregnant woman put her bag in the overhead bin? Are you dressing with respect?"

Air travel expert Scott Keyes told the BBC Duffy may as well "ask a wall to start printing you money", and would say very few people are actively looking to fall out with other passengers. He said, "Very few people show up for their flight itching to pick a fight with another passenger."

Trump official reveals hope to 'bring back the 1970s station wagon' with 'wood paneling'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy bragged that President Donald Trump's rollback of automotive fuel efficiency standards could "bring back the 1970s station wagon."

In a Thursday interview, Duffy told CNBC's Phil LeBeau that ending the Biden-era rules would save major car companies billions.

"The cynic will look at this and say, yes, the automakers will save about $109 billion," LeBeau noted. "And that's fantastic for the automakers. It comes out to about $1,000 per car; theoretically, that should be saved for consumers."

"Do you honestly believe that the auto industry will lower their prices?" he asked.

"Listen, the auto industry is very competitive, right?" Duffy replied. "And by the way, if we bring prices down and we get newer cars on American roads, newer cars are way safer."

"If you're building a car, developing a car that Joe Biden or Pete Buttigieg wanted you to build, that's different than market demand," he continued. "This rule will actually allow you to bring back the 1970s station wagon. Maybe a little wood paneling on the side, Phil."

‘Boot-edge-edge!’ Trump scolds Sean Duffy for correctly pronouncing ‘Buttigieg’

President Donald Trump playfully scolded Sean Duffy for mispronouncing "Buttigieg" during a White House press conference on Wednesday.

Duffy, Secretary of Transportation and acting administrator for NASA, was commenting on an announcement that the Trump administration is slashing fuel economy standards put in place by former President Joe Biden. The move is aimed at making it easier for automakers to sell gasoline-powered vehicles.

"Congress set a rule that says you have to look at combustion engines. Biden and Buttigieg actually did an analysis..." Duffy said, before Trump interjected to correct his pronunciation of Buttigieg, the last name of Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Transportation.

"Boot edge edge!" Trump exclaimed, correcting Duffy.

Laughter broke out among the lawmakers surrounding Trump and the press.

"Edge. Edge. I'm sorry," Duffy said.

DUFFY: Buttigieg--

TRUMP: Boot edge edge!

DUFFY: Edge Edge. I'm sorry pic.twitter.com/qza17YBAKx
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 3, 2025

WH Cabinet secretary accused of 'world-class stupid decision' by going behind Trump's back

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy is headlining a fundraiser for his son as he runs for Congress in Wisconsin — without first securing permission from the White House.

According to NOTUS, Duffy "is set to headline a meet-and-greet event for his son-in-law, Michael Alfonso, who is running for Congress in Wisconsin ... Duffy, who previously held the same Wisconsin seat before retiring in 2018, is now backing his son-in-law to win the seat vacated by Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor."

"The event is scheduled for Nov. 11 ... However, Duffy did not clear the event with the administration, a source familiar with the matter told NOTUS, and President Donald Trump has not endorsed anyone in the race," said the report.

Duffy, who has become a controversial figure as he presides over managing critical air traffic staffing shortages amid the government shutdown and is ruffling feathers in the administration over the future of NASA leadership, has actually done this before in May, the report noted, as he "was scheduled to host a fundraiser for Rep. Bill Huizenga, who at the time was strongly considering a bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan."

This was a problem, though, said the report, because "President Donald Trump’s administration was planning to back former Rep. Mike Rogers in the race, and those in Trumpworld were blindsided and infuriated when Duffy’s name showed up on a fundraising invitation, sources told NOTUS."

One White House insider raged that Duffy made a "world-class stupid decision" by going behind Trump's back yet again.

However, one spokesperson for the DOT dismissed this as a nonissue: “Leave it to D.C. gossip to find a father supporting his son-in-law breaking news. The secretary would be attending his son-in-law’s meet and greet in his personal capacity. His presence does not reflect any official administration position or endorsement.”

Trump official threatens to ground all flights before Thanksgiving in shutdown standoff

Transportation chief Sean Duffy threatened to ground all U.S. flights amid the ongoing shutdown, warning "we'll shut the whole airspace down."

As the stalemate drags into the second month, it's adding more potential risk to the aviation system and putting a further strain on air traffic control staffing shortages, Duffy said in an interview Monday with CNBC.

“If we thought that it was unsafe, we’ll shut the whole airspace down,” Duffy said.

Air traffic controllers are working without pay and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration moved to slow air traffic last week across many airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Friday, "A surge in callouts is straining staffing levels at multiple facilities, leading to widespread impacts" to half of its core 30 facilities facing staffing shortages. The agency also reported nearly 80% of its air traffic controllers were absent at its New York-area facilities.

"After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue," according to the FAA. "The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays."

The FAA plans to reduce flow of air traffic to maintain safety while staffing shortages happen and could delay or cancel flights as a result.

‘Loyalties are being tested’ as 'another MAGA power struggle spills into view': analyst

An analyst says that a MAGA power struggle has ensued over President Donald Trump's pick and Elon Musk — and now "loyalties are being tested."

Musk, the richest man in the world who has previously called himself "first buddy," criticized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Trump's pick for interim administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, writes Salon's Sophia Tesfaye. The move reveals how "the team he assembled has been besieged by a series of internal disputes. Now another MAGA power struggle has spilled into public view, laying bare the movement’s dissonance about power and progress."

"Musk, who had a rather messy departure from his official government role in May, is once again making waves with a social media broadside against another Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy," Tesfaye writes. "With Trump’s man is under attack by the MAGA movement’s favorite billionaire, loyalties are being tested."

At the center of the friction is Musk's Spacex 2021 $2.9 billion contract for the Human Landing System (HLS) technology and NASA's decision last year to delay further moon missions.

"The agency’s current plan requires SpaceX’s Starship to be refueled in space, a feat that has never been accomplished. The company has tested Starship 11 times," Tesfaye writes. "'SpaceX had the contract for Artemis III,' Duffy said. 'The problem is they’re behind. They push their timelines out, and we’re in a race against China. The president and I want to get to the Moon in this president’s term.'"

SpaceX and Blue Origin reportedly have until this Wednesday to ramp up the project. But the timing — with midterms coming — adds an additional challenge as the Republican Party tries to maintain its control in Congress.

" Trump loyalists in the White House are picking Musk’s side in this duel, blaming Duffy for biting the multi-billion-dollar hand that bankrolls MAGA," Tesfaye writes.

It's further created in-fighting among MAGA and “those closest to the president appear to be livid,” according to NOTUS.

“Duffy picking a fight with Elon doesn’t sit well with a lot of people because Elon is going to be a pretty big factor in the midterms,” a senior White House official told the Washington Free Beacon.

Trump official drops explosive threat against California: 'We have the option'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made good on a previous threat against California Sunday after confirming that his agency was “about to pull $160 million” in funding for the state in response to a deadly crash caused by a migrant truck driver, while also repeating another threat that could strip the state of its ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses entirely.

“I'm about to pull $160 million from California, and as we pull more money, we also have the option of pulling California's ability to issue commercial driver's licenses,” Duffy said, appearing on Fox News Sunday. “Gavin Newsom cares more about illegals getting commercial driver's licenses than he does his citizens of his own state and the safety of Americans.”

Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old semitruck driver and undocumented immigrant, was arrested this week after being alleged to have caused the deadly crash that killed three and injured four in southern California. The incident sparked condemnation from the Trump administration amid its ongoing mass deportation efforts, especially from Duffy, who had already announced his agency would withhold $40 million from California earlier this month.

Duffy previously threatened to withhold an additional $160 million, but confirmed that he would follow through on the threat on Sunday, while also floating the idea of stripping California of its ability to issue any commercial driver’s licenses. He also railed into Newsom over the deadly crash, calling his conduct as California’s governor “shameful.”

“It's shameful, he's been lying about what he's been doing, and again, we're going to fight tooth and nail under President Trump's administration to make sure that we hold states like California accountable,” Duffy said.

A report from the Department of Transportation released Friday explicitly blamed Newsom for the deadly crash, and also included a deadline for California to comply with an audit of all of its commercial driver’s license issuance practices and procedures.

Sean Duffy: "I'm about to pull $160 million from California, and as we pull more money we also have the option of pulling California's ability to issue commercial driver's licenses." pic.twitter.com/Y1csURBDFF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 26, 2025

Trump Cabinet member on 'thin ice' after infuriating West Wing insiders: report

A Donald Trump administration Cabinet member is feeling heat from West Wing insiders for drawing fire from billionaire Elon Musk and creating a distraction the administration doesn’t want to have to deal with at the moment, according to reporting.

At the center of the controversy is Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who doesn’t want to relinquish his second job as NASA administrator as pressure mounts for him to step aside so an ally of Musk can be installed.

According to a report from Reese Gorman of NOTUS, Duffy is lobbying Trump to let the Transportation Department absorb NASA at the same time that Musk and a faction of Republican senators want the nominee that Duffy replaced, Jared Isaacman, to be reappointed.

NOTUS reports Duffy is “beginning to feel the pressure that his plan to fold NASA under his purview as secretary of transportation was slipping, as Isaacman was making inroads with President Donald Trump and others in the administration.”

The fact that Duffy won’t gracefully step aside has placed him on “thin ice” with some administration officials.

Gorman is reporting, “Sources said that Duffy appears to be putting his own interests ahead of the administration’s, and in doing so, rubbed people the wrong way,” with one insider complaining, “There are people in the White House who believe Duffy has made unnecessary chaos rather than just accept that his time is in the sunset.”

Pointing out that the “fragile peace” between the Trump White House and Musk has now been broken, another insider, admitted, “Everyone, and I mean everyone in the West Wing, is furious at him.”

You can read more here.