The Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traded barbs after President Trump publicly addressed air traffic controllers during the wind-down of a prolonged government shutdown. Buttigieg blasted the president on X while Duffy pushed back hard, accusing his predecessor of neglect and saying he has spent months cleaning up the damage. The spat highlights ongoing tensions over how the federal government handled the shutdown and who is accountable for the chaos it caused. At the center of the fight are the rank-and-file air traffic controllers and a presidential post that promised rewards for loyalty and consequences for those who stayed home.
On X, Pete Buttigieg wrote, “The President wouldn’t last five minutes as an air traffic controller, and after everything they’ve been through – and the way this administration has treated them from Day One – he has no business shitting on them now.” His message landed as many workers and families were still sorting out pay and schedules after a long period of uncertainty, and it brought a blunt, partisan tone to a personnel matter that affects public safety. Buttigieg framed his criticism around respect for the workforce and the hardships they endured during the shutdown.
Secretary Duffy answered with equal bluntness, accusing Buttigieg of being “AWOL” while serving at the Department of Transportation and insisting the agency was left in disarray. “Give me a break,” Duffy wrote. “You were basically AWOL at the DOT. I spend my whole day dealing with your neglect and cleaning up your messes. Sit this one out.” Duffy and his allies argue his hands-on approach has limited disruption and protected travelers despite broken systems left by prior management.
Republican officials and many conservatives celebrated Duffy’s direct, managerial style, saying it was exactly what the department needed after months of mismanagement. They point to quick fixes, clearer communication with front-line workers, and decisive leadership during the crisis as examples of a practical focus that prioritized keeping flights moving and safety intact. Supporters see his comments as a justified defense of an administration that moved to end the shutdown and get government services back online.
The president took the unusual step of addressing air traffic controllers directly on Truth Social, praising those who continued to work and warning consequences for those who did not. His message promised a $10,000 bonus for controllers he called “GREAT PATRIOTS” and threatened to “dock” pay or mark records for those who stayed home. He wrote:
All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially “docked.” For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax,” I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country. For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU. You didn’t step up to help the U.S.A. against the FAKE DEMOCRAT ATTACK that was only meant to hurt our Country. You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record. If you want to leave service in the near future, please do not hesitate to do so, with NO payment or severance of any kind! You will be quickly replaced by true Patriots, who will do a better job on the Brand New State of the Art Equipment, the best in the World, that we are in the process of ordering. The last “Administration” wasted Billions of Dollars trying to fix antiquated “junk.” They had no idea what they were doing! Again, to our great American Patriots, GOD BLESS YOU – I won’t be able to send your money fast enough! To all others, REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. GOD BLESS AMERICA! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
The president’s tone was forceful and polarizing, rewarding loyalty while promising swift consequences for those he claimed shirked duties during the shutdown. That stance played well with conservative audiences who view the shutdown as political theater and believe accountability is overdue. It also sharpened the political contrast with Buttigieg, who criticized the president’s approach as inappropriate for the people who keep the skies safe.
Whatever the merits of each side’s rhetoric, the dispute is rooted in three clear facts: controllers faced a stressful, messy period; the leadership transition left unresolved problems for the new team to fix; and public confidence in operations depends on steady, competent management. The exchanges between Duffy and Buttigieg underscore the political stakes and the operational reality that millions of travelers and the workers who serve them will judge by results rather than rhetoric.
