US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has placed full blame for ongoing issues in the aviation sector — including staffing shortages and outdated infrastructure — on his predecessor, Pete Buttigieg, despite clear evidence that Buttigieg sought funding to address these problems while in office.
Appearing on Fox Business, Duffy was asked directly by host Stuart Varney whether he held Buttigieg responsible for the situation.
“It seems like a whole lot of problems surfaced as soon as you took office,” Varney said. “Do you blame your predecessor Buttigieg for this?”
Duffy didn’t hesitate.
“I do,” he replied.
“Because, again, when leaders see problems, they can’t ignore the problem and pass it off to the next guy. What you should do is actually fix the problem. We’re doing what they wouldn’t do.”
Blame Over Newark Airport and Staffing Shortages
Duffy specifically blamed Buttigieg for issues at Newark Airport, citing outdated air traffic equipment and a severe shortage of air traffic controllers.
However, in April 2024, Buttigieg had asked Congress for increased funding to hire more controllers. The Republican-controlled House refused to approve the request. In May 2024, Buttigieg appeared on MSNBC and reminded viewers of his ongoing efforts to modernise aviation infrastructure.
“It’s obviously a real concern, a major concern,” he told Jen Psaki.
“When you become Secretary of Transportation, you know that your most important priority is safety.”
Duffy’s Record Under Scrutiny
Despite Duffy’s claims that Buttigieg prioritised “equity” over infrastructure, records show that Buttigieg’s team had requested funding and taken steps to update ageing systems. Meanwhile, Duffy has drawn criticism for focusing on anti-LGBTQ+ culture war issues, including asking governors to remove rainbow crosswalks and banning diversity celebrations, rather than addressing the aviation crisis.
In May, Duffy posted on X:
“Celebrating Transit Equity Day. Chairing the Equity Council. Stopping racist roads. Building bike paths. Funding studies on gender non-conforming people.
This is the c**p Pete Buttigieg focused on instead of fixing the problems with Newark and our entire air traffic control system.”
He added:
“Buttigieg and Biden didn’t lift a finger to fix our air traffic control system.”
Yet under Duffy’s leadership, several hundred Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) staff were fired earlier this year — during a spike in major aviation incidents, including the first fatal commercial crash in 16 years.
“Even after a bunch of accidents that highlighted FAA staffing shortages, they still went ahead and fired FAA staff,” said Don Moynihan, a Professor of Public Policy.
“They don’t know what they are doing.”
Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) called the move:
“Stupid beyond belief.”
Reversal on Gender-Inclusive Language Raises Eyebrows
While Duffy has accused Buttigieg of misplacing his focus, the administration’s decision to revert gender-neutral terminology has also raised eyebrows. In February, the FAA changed the meaning of the aviation term “NOTAM” back to “Notice to Airmen” from the gender-neutral “Notice to Air Missions”, which was introduced in 2021.
Buttigieg, now no longer in office, responded on Bluesky:
“So after promising to focus on safety, they’ve gotten right down to work… on gender terminology?”
The timing of the memo was especially controversial, arriving just after the deadly air crash — the most serious in nearly two decades.
Duffy’s Own Missteps Continue
Duffy, a former reality TV personality with a history of harassing a lesbian contestant on-air, recently embarrassed himself during a congressional hearing where he admitted he had no idea how many air traffic controllers have left the workforce this year — a critical metric for someone in his role.
