Pete Buttigieg Takes Cheap Shot At Trump, Immediately Regrets It

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is making waves for all the wrong reasons. Amid heightened scrutiny over multiple aircraft crashes, Buttigieg attempted to shift blame to President Donald Trump, only to be met with fierce backlash from his successor, Sean Duffy, who wasted no time setting the record straight.

Buttigieg, who led the Department of Transportation (DOT) from 2021 to early 2025, drew sharp criticism when he implied that the string of aviation disasters could be linked to Trump-era policies. However, his comments quickly unraveled under the weight of his own mismanagement as Duffy exposed the failures that plagued the agency under Buttigieg’s watch.

“The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?” Buttigieg wrote on X. His comments came after the Trump administration began terminating the employment of hundreds of probationary Federal Aviation Administration workers responsible for the upkeep of essential air traffic control systems, according to CNN.

“Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system,” Duffy said in response to Buttigieg’s post. “In less than four weeks, we have already begun the process and are engaging the smartest minds in the entire world.”

“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 clarified.

Duffy’s remarks come as multiple aviation disasters have left the nation in shock:

• January 29: A catastrophic mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter killed all 67 individuals onboard both aircraft.
• January 31: Med Jets Flight 056, a Learjet 55, crashed after takeoff in Philadelphia, killing seven and injuring 24.
• February 6: Bering Air Flight 445, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX, disappeared over Norton Sound, Alaska. All 10 occupants perished.
• February 17: Delta Connection Flight 4819 crashed upon landing in Toronto, injuring 21.

Despite these tragic incidents, Buttigieg took to social media, questioning the DOT’s response and insinuating that Trump-era deregulations played a role. However, Duffy swiftly dismantled that narrative.

He further accused Buttigieg of diverting DOT resources away from core aviation concerns and toward politically motivated pet projects.

“Mayor Pete chose to use this amazing department—that is so critical to America’s success—as a slush fund for the green new scam and environmental justice nonsense. Not to mention that over 90% of the workforce under his leadership were working from home—including him. The building was empty!”

“When we finally get a full accounting of his mismanagement, I look forward to hearing from him,” Duffy said. “In the meantime, I will not rest until I return the Department of Transportation and its incredible employees to its mission of efficiency and safety.”

As investigations continue into the recent crashes, Buttigieg’s attempt to deflect responsibility onto Trump has largely backfired. Critics argue that the former secretary failed to address the real problems within the FAA and the DOT, leaving behind an overburdened system ripe for failure.