Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Sean

Sean Duffy tells Hillary Clinton to ‘sit this one out’ after she chimes in on his DOGE announcement

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will work on upgrading the aviation system, and then fired back at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she weighed in.

“Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system,” Duffy noted in a post on X.

Clinton chimed in, tweeting, “They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car. And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”

TRANSPORTATION SEC SEAN DUFFY SAYS FAA SYSTEMS ARE ‘ANTIQUATED,’ CALLS FOR MORE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

Left: Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks to reporters about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Jan. 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.; Right: Hillary Clinton at the Navalny Screening held at the Museum of Modern Art on Jan. 30, 2025 in New York, N.Y. (Left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Right: Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images)

Duffy fired back at Clinton, the Democrat who lost the 2016 presidential election to Donald Trump.

“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,” Duffy declared.

Business tycoon Elon Musk — who is spearheading the DOGE effort to uncover government waste, fraud, and abuse — indicated that the team will seek to swiftly implement “safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.”

“With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system. Just a few days ago, the FAA’s primary aircraft safety notification system failed for several hours!” he noted in a post when responding to Duffy’s announcement.

‘SQUAD’ DEM AYANNA PRESSLEY TRASHES ELON MUSK, CALLING HIM A ‘NAZI NEPO BABY’

Someone replied to Musk, noting, “My brother first developed the method of accurately navigating airlines by GPS, 45 years ago. He expected an automated air traffic system long ago. It’s time to do it now. Get rid of 75-year-old ATC radar. Put all the planes on a 3-D map. All paths straight to landing.”

Musk replied, noting that he agrees.

DOGE TARGETS MEDICARE AGENCY, LOOKING FOR FRAUD

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The exchange comes after back-to-back fatal aviation incidents in the U.S. last week, including the collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet near the Ronald Reagan Washington National airport (DCA) and a Learjet 55 medevac jet that crashed in Philadelphia, killing at least seven people.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 6, 2025
Trump names Michael Ellis, Joe Kent and Sean Parnell to positions

President Donald Trump continues appointing new people to his second administration, naming three recent picks in a series of Truth Social posts on Monday.

Just two weeks after taking office, Trump announced that Michael Ellis will serve as deputy director of the CIA. Ellis, who will not need to be approved by the U.S. Senate, will work under CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Trump wrote that the incoming deputy director, who is also a lawyer, will help “fix the CIA, and make it, once again, the Greatest Intelligence Agency in the World.”

“During my First Term, Michael served at the White House National Security Council, and helped expose abuses of the ‘unmasking’ process by the Obama Administration at the beginning of the Russia, Russia, Russia, Hoax,” the president wrote. “Michael was also General Counsel of the House Intelligence Committee under Devin Nunes, and was selected to be General Counsel of the National Security Agency before being corruptly purged by the Biden Administration.”

NEW YORK AG LETITIA JAMES ADVISES HOSPITALS TO IGNORE TRUMP EO ABOUT SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES FOR MINORS

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In another post, Trump named Joe Kent to serve as director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). According to the agency’s website, the NCTC operates within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and helps officials by “analyzing, understanding, and responding to the terrorist threat.”

“As a Soldier, Green Beret, and CIA Officer, Joe has hunted down terrorists and criminals his entire adult life,” Trump’s Truth Social post read. “Above all, Joe knows the terrible cost of terrorism, losing his wonderful wife, Shannon, a Great American Hero, who was killed in the fight against ISIS.”

“Joe continues to honor her legacy by staying in the fight. Joe will help us keep America safe by eradicating all terrorism, from the jihadists around the World, to the cartels in our backyard,” the president concluded.

TRUMP’S ULTIMATUM TO FEDERAL WORKERS: RETURN TO OFFICE ‘OR BE TERMINATED’

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters from the Resolute Desk after signing an executive order to appoint the deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration in the Oval Office at the White House on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump also signed a memorandum ordering an immediate assessment of aviation safety and ordering an elevation of what he called “competence” over “D.E.I.” (Getty Images)

Finally, Trump named Sean Parnell to serve as the chief Pentagon spokesman, and to work as the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs.

“A Great American Patriot, Sean is a fearless Combat Veteran, who led one of the most decorated units in the Afghanistan War,” Trump said of Parnell. “He earned two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart, while his platoon achieved an incredible record of eliminating over 350 enemy fighters.”

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C. on January 31, 2025. (BRYAN DOZIER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

“During my First Term, Sean was also instrumental helping pass the MISSION ACT, the BIGGEST VA Reform in History,” Trump added. “Congratulations to Sean, his wonderful wife, and their five children!”

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

February 4, 2025
Transportation Sec Sean Duffy says FAA systems are ‘antiquated,’ calls for more air traffic controllers

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that many of the Federal Aviation Administration’s systems remain “antiquated” and are in need of updates amid a “plummet” in recruitment for air traffic controllers.

Duffy made the statement during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream. The Trump administration official affirmed that America’s skies remain the safest in the world, but he also said major changes could be made to improve the FAA’s systems.

“We have the safest skies in the whole world. Traveling by air is the safest mode of transportation,” Duffy said. “It’s not just air traffic controllers, but we do have technologies on airplanes to keep them separated. So, yeah, no, this is the safest system.”

Duffy went on to say that the U.S. system “does need to be upgraded.” He also noted an outage of the FAA’s pilot warning system, the “Notice to Air Mission” or NOTAM system, on Saturday night, calling it “antiquated.”

VICTIMS IDENTIFIED IN DC PLANE CRASH INVOLVING AMERICAN AIRLINES JET AND MILITARY HELICOPTER

Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation Sean Duffy addresses the media, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River. (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)

The FAA imposes a mandatory retirement age of 55 for air traffic controllers, causing a large amount of turnover. Duffy noted that the FAA’s training academy was bottlenecked during COVID-19, causing small class sizes and delaying the process as trainees could not get in-person experience at control towers.

HARROWING VIDEO FROM MILITARY BASE SHOWS NEW ANGLE OF MIDAIR CRASH CATASTROPHE

He said he is focusing on training a new generation of recruits.

“You can’t focus on diversity, equity and inclusion when you try to hire air traffic controllers, you focus on the best and brightest,” Duffy told Bream. “I mean, again, some people like me like to have this conversation around equity. But if it’s your pilots or if it’s your air traffic controllers, you want the best. You want the brightest protecting yourself and your family. That’s what we’re going to do with the department.”

First responders work the scene after what witnesses say was a plane crash in Philadelphia on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)

Duffy’s statements come after two aviation disasters struck the U.S., including the collision of a military Blackhawk helicopter with an American Airlines jet in Washington, D.C., last week. A private plane also plummeted out of the sky in Pennsylvania this weekend.

Investigations are ongoing for both crashes. Duffy said he is particularly interested in the communications that the control tower at Reagan National Airport had with both the jet and the helicopter in last week’s crash.

Search and rescue efforts are seen around a wreckage site in the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, early Thursday morning, Jan. 30, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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“What happened in the tower? What was going on with the staffing? What should have been done and what was done? What was the language that was used by the air traffic controller? Was it appropriate? Did they appropriately direct traffic consistent with procedures at the FAA?” Duffy asked.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

February 2, 2025
Senate poised to approve Trump Transportation Department pick Sean Duffy

The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Transportation Department, Sean Duffy.

The Senate voted Monday to advance Duffy’s nomination by a margin of 97-0, and his confirmation is expected Tuesday.

Duffy, who previously represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, appeared before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this month and outlined his priorities for the Transportation Department including aviation and highway safety, addressing the air traffic controller shortage and restoring trust in Boeing following several major scandals.

TRUMP’S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY NOMINEE ADVANCES TO FINAL SENATE VOTE

Sean Duffy greets Senators at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15 with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” Duffy told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15.

“We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,” he said.

Duffy also vowed to initiate work on rebuilding a portion of Interstate 40 near the North Carolina-Tennessee line shut down by extensive Hurricane Helene damage in September.

TULSI GABBARD, RFK JR. EXPECTED TO FACE OPPOSITION IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

Sean Duffy at his confirmation hearing for Secretary of Transportation on Jan. 15. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)

“We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,” Duffy said.

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Meanwhile, Trump visited North Carolina on Friday and promised some reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that has overseen recovery of North Carolina following the hurricane.

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said Friday. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down.”

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

January 28, 2025
Trump transportation secretary pick Sean Duffy to face Senate confirmation vote

The Senate is poised to vote on whether to confirm President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Transportation over the next four years.

Trump tapped Sean Duffy, a former congressman, a father of nine and a former Fox News host, to serve as secretary of transportation under his administration, calling him a “tremendous and well-liked public servant.”

Duffy underwent a grilling by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee this month, eventually advancing to a full Senate vote with unanimous, bipartisan support.

A cloture vote for Duffy’s confirmation was held Monday evening, which, upon its passing, meant the chamber would conclude its debate over his nomination and proceed to a final vote.

SPEAKER JOHNSON INVITES TRUMP TO ADDRESS CONGRESS AMID BUSY FIRST 100-DAY SPRINT

Then-Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., leaves a House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol on May 8, 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to confirm Duffy on Tuesday afternoon.

If confirmed, Duffy will assume the position last held by former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg.

Buttigieg faced criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of transportation issues over the years, such as waiting 10 days to address the 2023 Ohio train derailment and widespread calls to hold airlines accountable for flight delays.

As the new administration takes shape, lawmakers are making suggestions about what they would like to see in the new transportation head.

REPUBLICANS REACT TO PETE HEGSETH’S CONFIRMATION AS DEFENSE SECRETARY: ‘HE IS THE CHANGE AGENT’

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah called for the Trump administration to abolish the Transportation Security Administration.

Pete Buttigieg (Tim Rue/File)

Additionally, during Duffy’s confirmation hearing, Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., highlighted the importance of making sure Hurricane Helene victims are “not forgotten” after a stretch of a highway in North Carolina collapsed into the Pigeon River.

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Tuesday’s vote comes as Senate Republicans have been working to confirm Trump’s Cabinet nominees, holding a rare vote on Saturday to push through Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

January 28, 2025
Trump names Sean Curran as nominee to lead Secret Service

Trump formally nominated Sean Curran, the head of his personal Secret Service security detail, to serve as director of the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday.

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump wrote that it was an “honor” to appoint Curran.

“Sean is a Great Patriot, who has protected my family over the past few years, and that is why I trust him to lead the Brave Men and Women of the United States Secret Service,” the president wrote.

Trump went on to call Curran a “brilliant leader, who is capable of directing and leading operational security plans for some of the most complex Special Security Events in the History of our Country, and the World.”

SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CHEATLE RESIGNS AFTER MOUNTING PRESSURE IN WAKE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents, including Curran. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)

“He proved his fearless courage when he risked his own life to help save mine from an assassin’s bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Trump said. “I have complete and total confidence in Sean to make the United States Secret Service stronger than ever before.”

This is a breaking news story. Check back with us for updates.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

January 23, 2025