Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy engaged in a heated exchange with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over plans to modernize the nation’s air traffic control system, with both officials trading accusations about safety and mismanagement in a series of increasingly pointed social media posts.
“Big News – Talked to the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy announced on X Wednesday, referring to the newly formed agency tasked with streamlining federal operations.
Clinton, 77, speaking at a 92NY event with Reid Hoffman in New York City on January 28, 2025, immediately criticized the decision, questioning DOGE’s qualifications. “Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car,” she wrote on X. “And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”
Duffy, 53, fired back at the 2016 presidential candidate: “Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out.”
The exchange intensified following a Saturday, February 1 outage of the Federal Aviation Administration’s main warning system for pilots. A backup system was activated until the primary system was restored. This disruption occurred just three days after the fatal collision between American Eagle Flight 5342 and a Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that claimed 67 lives. In a press conference on January 30, 2025, the Secretary addressed the media about the collision.
DOGE leader Elon Musk, speaking at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on January 20, 2025, confirmed his team’s commitment to implementing “rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.” The DOGE team, comprised of members between 19 and 24 years old, has been tasked with reviewing and improving government department efficiency.
Clinton escalated the dispute Thursday, pointing out that US airlines had gone 16 years without fatal crashes, “Then MAGA fired the FAA chief, gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and threatened air traffic controllers with layoffs. Now, there have been two fatal crashes. Hope your unvetted 22-year-olds fix things fast,” she added.
Duffy forcefully pushed back against Clinton’s accusations, suggesting that her sudden concern over aviation safety deflected from DOGE’s efforts to expose alleged financial misconduct involving her family. He specifically pointed to claims that USAID, the federal agency responsible for foreign aid, had funneled taxpayer money into initiatives that ultimately benefited entities connected to the Clinton Foundation and its global projects. Duffy accused Clinton of attempting to distort facts to protect her family’s reputation, noting that the FAA administrator had announced his resignation more than a month before Trump took office and that air traffic controllers had always been exempt from Trump’s civil service buyouts, contradicting her claims.
In addition, the Transportation Secretary sharply criticized the Biden administration for diverting funds toward climate initiatives instead of addressing the worsening state of the air traffic control system. He underscored his commitment to restoring the department’s primary mission of safety through cutting-edge technology in transportation and infrastructure. According to Duffy, Clinton and her political allies had already mismanaged these issues during their time in power, leaving the system in dire need of reform.
At the National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol, President Trump, 78, directly addressed growing concerns over aviation safety, signaling his administration’s intent to push forward with a sweeping overhaul of the air traffic control system. He emphasized that the changes would be a top priority and would be carried out in close collaboration with Congress. This initiative fits within his administration’s more significant push to modernize the country’s critical transportation infrastructure by leveraging cutting-edge technology and eliminating inefficiencies.
Despite Clinton’s skepticism over their expertise, DOGE, under the leadership of Elon Musk, is set to play a key role in executing these upgrades. The young team has already begun laying the groundwork for improvements, with Musk making it clear that they are moving quickly to implement safety enhancements across the system.
