Overview
- At the White House, President Trump mocked Pete Buttigieg by name and blamed the Biden-era Transportation Department for air-traffic woes.
- On Truth Social, Trump told controllers to return to work, threatened to have pay docked for those who didn’t, and said he would recommend $10,000 bonuses for those who stayed on the job.
- Pete Buttigieg pushed back on X and in a video, saying Trump’s claims about air traffic control and his record were wrong and criticizing the president’s treatment of controllers.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy escalated the exchange by calling Buttigieg “AWOL” at DOT and saying he is cleaning up problems from the prior administration.
- The FAA has reported widespread disruptions with thousands of flight cancellations, while the controllers’ union says most controllers are still working extended shifts without pay.