Current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a post on X, accusing the Biden-era official of “mismanagement.”
He leveled the criticism when responding to a post in which Buttigieg wrote, “The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?”
Duffy responded, blasting Buttigieg.
“Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system. In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world,” Duffy declared.
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Left: Sean Duffy, U.S, Secretary of Transportation, during a swearing-in ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Right: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for the Long Bridge Project at the Long Bridge Aquatic Center on Oct. 15, 2024 in Arlington, Va. (Left: Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images; Right: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Prior to serving in the Biden administration, Buttigieg served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
“Here’s the truth: the FAA alone has a staggering 45,000 employees. Less than 400 were let go, and they were all probationary, meaning they had been hired less than a year ago. Zero air traffic controllers and critical safety personnel were let go,” Duffy continued.
He accused Buttigieg of utilizing the Department of Transportation “as a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense,” and claimed “that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home – including him. The building was empty!”
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“When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him,” he declared.
Buttigieg fired back, “At least one of the claims here (concerning telework rates) is demonstrably false, so forgive us for seeking more specifics on the rest. Is the Secretary claiming, and will he show, that none of the hundreds of FAA personnel he just fired were important to safety?”
In a post on Sunday, Duffy had indicated that individuals from SpaceX were slated to visit the Air Traffic Control System Command Center on Monday.
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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg looks on prior to the Playoff First Round game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on Dec. 20, 2024 in South Bend, Ind. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images))
“The safety of air travel is a non-partisan matter. SpaceX engineers will help make air travel safer,” Elon Musk replied.
