Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is facing serious criticism after trying to shift blame for a series of recent aviation disasters onto President Donald Trump’s administration. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, whose tenure at the Department of Transportation (DOT) lasted from 2021 to early 2025, suggested that the Trump-era deregulations and policy changes contributed to the wave of aircraft crashes. But his attempts to deflect blame have backfired spectacularly, thanks to his successor, Sean Duffy, who wasted no time setting the record straight.
Buttigieg’s comments came after several tragic aviation incidents that have shocked the nation. These include a mid-air collision between an American Airlines flight and a U.S. Army Black Hawk near Washington, D.C., a Learjet crash in Philadelphia, a Cessna crash in Alaska, and a Delta Connection crash in Toronto—all of which resulted in significant loss of life and injuries. In the face of this mounting crisis, Buttigieg took to X (formerly Twitter) and insinuated that the aviation issues were linked to Trump-era policies, specifically the firing of hundreds of probationary FAA employees responsible for air traffic control systems.
In a pointed response, Sean Duffy, the new DOT Secretary, quickly dismantled Buttigieg’s narrative. Duffy clarified that of the 45,000 FAA employees, only less than 400 probationary workers—who had been hired less than a year ago—were let go, and none of them were critical safety personnel like air traffic controllers. In less than four weeks, Duffy’s team had already begun the process of addressing the air traffic controller shortage and upgrading the outdated air traffic control systems that Buttigieg failed to address during his time at the helm.
Duffy didn’t stop there. He also accused Buttigieg of using the department as a political slush fund for green energy initiatives and environmental justice projects, rather than focusing on the core mission of ensuring the safety and efficiency of America’s transportation system. Duffy pointed out that under Buttigieg, over 90% of the workforce was working from home—him included—while the DOT was left severely understaffed and ill-prepared to handle the aviation challenges at hand.
Mayor Pete failed for four years to address the air traffic controller shortage and upgrade our outdated, World War II-era air traffic control system.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.
Here’s the… https://t.co/LCL1dswC2T
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 18, 2025
As investigations into the recent crashes continue, Buttigieg’s deflection of responsibility has largely fallen flat. Critics are now pointing to his failure to address the FAA’s critical issues during his four-year tenure. With Duffy promising a full reckoning of the department’s mismanagement, Buttigieg’s efforts to avoid accountability have only highlighted his inadequacies as Secretary of Transportation.
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