Air traffic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-floats-plan-to-reward-air-traffic-controllers-who-didnt-take-time-off-due-to-shutdown">controllers</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/noem-hands-out-10000-checks-to-tsa-agents-who-worked-through-shutdown">TSA agents</a> are getting paid again, and the Federal Aviation Administration is confident that it &#8220;is ready to get more than 360,000 flights to their destinations&#8221; for the Thanksgiving travel period. But Americans should be prepared for long lines and crowded terminals as the FAA expects the busiest Thanksgiving travel week since 2010.
Tuesday, November 25, will be the busiest travel day before Thanksgiving, with 52,185 forecasted flights, the FAA <a href="https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-expects-busiest-thanksgiving-travel-period-15-years">said</a> on Friday. Sunday, November 30, will be the busiest travel day after the holiday, with 51,268 forecasted flights. Some storm systems could also affect air travel. Forecasts call for rain in the Northeast, while wind and rain could move into the Great Lakes region and Seattle around Thanksgiving Day, according to the FAA.
A total of 82 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from their homes for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is an increase of 1.6 million travelers compared to last Thanksgiving, according to <a href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/11/aaa-thanksgiving-travel-forecast-2025/">AAA</a>. Seventy-three million Americans are expected to travel by car for the holiday, while six million Americans are expected to travel by air.
The busy travel week comes as the airline industry seeks to get back into a normal rhythm after the record-breaking 43-day government shutdown caused numerous disruptions. On Monday, the FAA lifted its temporary flight restrictions that affected 40 of the busiest airports in the country, and normal operations resumed.
“Thanks to the dedication of our air traffic controllers and every FAA employee, we are ready for the holiday rush and take pride in helping travelers reach their friends and families during this important time of year,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “I am deeply grateful to our entire FAA team. Even through a period of record-high traffic, their unwavering commitment keeps the system running safely.”
<div id="attachment_1004229" style="width: 930px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004229" class="wp-image-1004229 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-21T134817.108-920x576.jpg" alt="" width="920" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-21T134817.108-920x576.jpg 920w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-21T134817.108-300x188.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-21T134817.108-768x481.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Untitled-design-2025-11-21T134817.108.jpg 1078w" sizes=" (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px" />FAA</div>
The government shutdown resulted in an air traffic controller shortage as many controllers called in sick to either stay home or look for other work as they missed paychecks. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday that 776 air traffic controllers and technicians who remained on the job and showed up to work every day during the government shutdown received $10,000 bonus checks.
&#8220;President Trump wanted to give air traffic controllers and technicians BONUSES for showing up to work EVERY DAY during the government shutdown… and TODAY IS THE DAY!&#8221; Duffy wrote. &#8220;776 patriotic men and women will get $10K checks, just in time for Christmas. God bless the patriots of our skies!&#8221;
The FAA also kicked off a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-more-pajamas-folks-is-it-time-to-dress-to-impress-on-planes-again">new campaign</a> on airport civility this week ahead of the holiday travel season.
“People dress up like they’re going to bed when they fly,” Duffy said. “We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up.”

Airport

Flying For The Holidays? Prepare For The Busiest Thanksgiving Travel Week In 15 Years.

Air Travel

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

General

Thanksgiving

U.S.

The saying goes &#8220;you can&#8217;t buy class,&#8221; and that&#8217;s true for the 13,800 unruly airline passengers who have been reported by the Federal Aviation Administration since 2021.
The Trump administration wants to bring &#8220;civility&#8221; back to air travel through their &#8220;The Golden Age Of Travel Starts With You&#8221; campaign. One way they offer pertains to passenger attire.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants travelers to ask themselves: are you dressing with respect?
&#8220;People dress up like they&#8217;re going to bed when they fly,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1991334266974658936?s=20">Duffy said</a>. &#8220;We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up.&#8221;
In the campaign video released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, passengers are shown from previous decades flying in business suits and dresses, before showing the modern day jet setter in pajamas, sweatpants, and in some cases even bare feet. The passengers from the past showed courtesy, while the present-day passengers were seen fighting with each other on the plane.
&#8220;Things aren&#8217;t what they used to be,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s bring civility and manners back.&#8221;
Duffy has a checklist of questions he said will help put friendliness back in the skies.
1. &#8220;Are you helping a pregnant woman put her bag in the overhead bin?&#8221;
2. &#8220;Are you dressing with respect?&#8221;
3. &#8220;Are you keeping control of your children?&#8221;
4. &#8220;Are you saying &#8216;thank you&#8217; to your flight attendants and pilots?&#8221;
5. &#8220;Are you saying &#8216;please&#8217; and &#8216;thank you&#8217; in general?&#8221;
To put it simply, Duffy said &#8220;manners don&#8217;t stop at the gate.&#8221;
But research shows &#8220;class&#8221; is only being used as a seating designation instead of a character trait.
In-flight outbursts have seen a 400% increase since 2019, according to the FAA. These can range from disrupting the peace to violence.
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
In 2021 alone, the FAA reported 5,973 unruly passengers. The return to the skies post-COVID saw the most chaos with six times the amount of unruly passengers in 2021 versus 2020. In 2024, the amount of uncontrollable passengers was double what was reported in 2019.
&#8220;The campaign is intended to jumpstart a nationwide conversation around how we can all restore courtesy and class to air travel,&#8221; the DOT announcement said. &#8220;This won’t just make the travel experience better for the flying public – it will ensure the safety of passengers, gate workers, flight attendants, and pilots.&#8221;
Duffy is eager to improve the flying experience during its busiest time of the year. AAA projected 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday this year from November 25 to December 1.
&#8220;Let’s be merry this holiday season as we fly!&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Dress up to go to the airport, help a stranger out, and be in a good mood. We can bring civility back, it’s as easy as that!&#8221;

Sean P. Duffy

No More Pajamas, Folks: Is It Time To Dress To Impress On Planes Again?

Christmas

Safety

Sean Duffy

Photos posted online show Democrat Congressman Brad Sherman (CA) looking at what appears to be pornographic images of women on his tablet during a recent flight.
Sherman, who is <a href="https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hres438/BILLS-115hres438ih.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">fiercely anti-Trump</a>, has denied that he was looking at pornography, while admitting to looking at the suggestive photos and blaming the X algorithm.
“If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah,&#8221; Sherman told reporter John Bresnahan in the aftermath of the scandal. He also said what he was doing was &#8220;inappropriate.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1001241" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001241" class="wp-image-1001241 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-10.18.38-AM-474x576.png" alt="" width="474" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-10.18.38-AM-474x576.png 474w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-10.18.38-AM-247x300.png 247w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-10.18.38-AM-768x933.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-15-at-10.18.38-AM.png 1236w" sizes=" (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" />@Dearwhitestaff</div>
The images went viral after they were posted by an X account called @dearwhitestaff. With his mouth agape, Sherman is seen viewing four to five sexually suggestive photos.
&#8220;Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today?&#8221; the post was captioned. &#8220;His district deserves better representation than this!!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Why did California Congressman Brad Sherman feel it was appropriate to look at porn on his iPad during a flight today? His district deserves better representation than this!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CA32?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CA32</a> <a href="https://t.co/gAYZ82tyr2">pic.twitter.com/gAYZ82tyr2</a>
— Dear White Staffers (@dearwhitestaff) <a href="https://twitter.com/dearwhitestaff/status/1989451791650402708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
When interviewed about the images, Sherman &#8220;denied repeatedly that he was looking or pornography or has a problem with pornography,&#8221; Bresnahan said. &#8220;Sherman said these photos came up in &#8216;Twitter feed&#8217; under the &#8216;For You&#8217; heading.&#8221;
“This was on Twitter,&#8221; Sherman said. &#8220;These pictures came up on ‘For You.&#8217; &#8230; I must’ve looked at more than 1,000 posts.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
3/ Sherman: “This was on Twitter. These pictures came up on ‘For You.’”
“I must’ve looked at more than 1000 posts” during his flight, Sherman said.
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) <a href="https://twitter.com/bresreports/status/1989498459217694773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
The Democrat admitted that what he did was not appropriate, but again denied that it was pornography he was viewing.
“Is it pornography? I don’t think [X owner] Elon Musk thinks so,&#8221; he said. “Is it appropriate? No.”
Bresnahan also pressed Sherman about a possible addiction to pornography. “No, I don’t have a problem,” he said. “It’s all about the algorithms.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
5/ Q. “Do you have a problem with pornography?”
Sherman: “No, I don’t have a problem.”
Sherman said “It’s all about the algorithms,” and asserted these pictures came up in his feed “because of the algorithms.”
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) <a href="https://twitter.com/bresreports/status/1989501984433647802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
“If I see a picture of a woman, might I look at it longer than a sunset? Yeah,&#8221; he admitted. “If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
7/ Sherman: “If you have to fly across the country, you look at a lot of stuff on your tablet.”
&#8211; 30 &#8211;
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) <a href="https://twitter.com/bresreports/status/1989502732903022690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2025</a></blockquote>

Congressman Brad Sherman

Dem Congressman Denies Looking At Porn Mid-Flight With Bizarre Defense

California

Congress

Democrats

Politics

Pornography

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday it halved a requirement that U.S. airlines reduce domestic flights at 40 major airports from 6% to 3% starting Saturday to address air traffic control safety concerns after the end of the government shutdown.
Airlines have been pushing for the FAA to end the required cuts entirely and were largely not in compliance with the FAA order that required the 6% cut on Friday. It remains to be seen if they will be in compliance with the 3% order.
&#8220;The 3% reduction will remain in place while the FAA monitors system performance throughout the weekend and evaluates whether normal operations can resume,&#8221; the FAA said.
Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, said airlines canceled just 2% of overall flights Friday, down from 3.5% on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, air traffic controllers and other FAA employees began receiving back pay equal to about 70% of what they are owed excluding overtime.
Airlines have been privately making the case to the FAA that it is time to end the cuts and some said earlier they plan to cut few or no flights on Saturday, officials told Reuters.
The FAA opted on Wednesday to ease those required cancellations after disruptions due to air traffic control absences declined dramatically as Congress voted to reopen the government after a 43-day shutdown. The FAA had initially planned to hike the cuts to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday.
Separately, a group of House Democrats led by Representative Rick Larsen, the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, asked the administration on Friday to turn over the specific safety data and how it compares to the last six months.
United Airlines said it had canceled 134 flights for Friday, or almost 3% of its flights, after cancelling 222 flights on Thursday.
The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. Many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown led to them working without pay.
Air traffic absences led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays since October 1, when the 43-day shutdown began.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Nick Zieminski, William Maclean)

Duffy Warns Of Worsening US Flight Delays As Paychecks Run Out

FAA Halves Flight Cuts To 3% After Shutdown Chaos Comes To An End

Government Shutdown

In the end, it was air travel, of all things, that ended the longest government shutdown in United States history. That was the point of failure. We just shut down the federal government for 43 days, which runs a budget of around $6 trillion a year, and nothing of value broke during that period — nothing at all — until the flight cancellations and delays started ramping up within the last few days. It wasn&#8217;t until the air traffic controllers walked off the job that a single American had any good reason to complain about the shutdown.
As much as I&#8217;m loath to talk about federal government shutdowns — they are, in every case, a waste of time that benefits no one — this one actually turned out to be a pretty interesting experiment. It was a stress test that exposed some key weaknesses in the conservative movement, as well as the way the federal government works. And before the next funding bill is voted on — which will take place at the end of January, apparently — it&#8217;s worth shoring up some of these weaknesses as quickly as we possibly can.
At a minimum, we need to answer some pretty basic questions that no one ever seems to talk about. Starting with: Why exactly is air travel a core function of the federal government? Why does air travel shut down when the government does? More specifically, why are air traffic controllers paid by the federal government at all?
Since the 1940s or so, the federal government has employed air traffic controllers in this country. Taxpayers have been responsible for their salaries and benefits, and everyone&#8217;s been okay with that arrangement. But there&#8217;s no clear reason we&#8217;re doing it this way. And indeed, several countries have a very different system. For example, Canada has a nonprofit called &#8220;Nav Canada&#8221; in charge of their air traffic control system. They generate their own revenue. They&#8217;re self-sufficient. Did you realize that? Did you know that, when it comes to aviation, we actually have more government bloat than Canada? In terms of efficiency, we&#8217;re being shown up by a country that&#8217;s put the government in charge of everything — from healthcare to Facebook to euthanizing people who miss rent payments. It&#8217;s embarrassing.
One of the many benefits of a private system, when it comes to air traffic control, is that government dysfunction doesn&#8217;t strand tens of thousands of travelers and shut down the entire aviation industry. The ability of the country to travel using airplanes isn&#8217;t contingent on appropriations bills in Congress. Additionally, in a private system, government bureaucracy (in our case, the FAA) isn&#8217;t in charge of operating the same system that it&#8217;s supposed to regulate. If a private entity is in charge of air traffic control, then the private entity can focus on directing traffic and upgrading its systems, and the federal government can focus on checking its work. They can supervise. That&#8217;s the ideal arrangement.
But we don&#8217;t have a privatized system for air traffic control — even though most major airlines in the United States want one — for a very simple reason: Air traffic control, like many other government-run industries, is designed to be as inefficient as possible. It&#8217;s essentially a jobs program that saps taxpayer money while sabotaging any potential for innovation. And indeed, there hasn&#8217;t been innovation in the industry for many years.
Air traffic controllers are still using paper strips, which they shuffle around by hand, to track flights in many control towers — even though it&#8217;s obviously a less efficient and more dangerous system. And this system has persisted despite the fact that the FAA has been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/faa-nextgen-us-air-traffic-reform-effort-faces-lengthy-delays-over-budget-2025-10-01/">working</a> on a program called &#8220;NextGen&#8221; to update air traffic control systems (including the paper strips) for more than 20 years.
Yes, over more than two decades, the FAA has supposedly been working on a $15 billion project to modernize air traffic control. And they&#8217;re currently behind schedule and over-budget. Their plan to get rid of the paper flight strips has been delayed until 2030. They&#8217;re going to scale back the number of airports they update by 45%, and costs are over-budget by 20%.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1691-the-matt-walsh-show?elementPosition=1&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-976065 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1024x171.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-300x50.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-768x128.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1-1536x256.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Matt-watch-now-1.jpg 1800w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
A private, self-funded corporation could fix all of these problems virtually overnight. And they could probably do it with fewer employees, too. They could update the software in the control towers, take some of the workload off the controllers, and make everyone safer. But the unions wouldn&#8217;t like that change, for obvious reasons. And apparently, no one in Washington wants to privatize air traffic control either, because as far as I can tell, no politician is even broaching the subject at the moment. Even though the government shutdown just exposed a gigantic vulnerability in the aviation industry, the possibility of reforming the air traffic control system is going totally unmentioned.
Instead, one after another, Republican politicians have been posting videos celebrating the end of the government shutdown because SNAP benefits are being restored. That&#8217;s what they&#8217;re focusing on. They&#8217;re not talking about the fact that, other than air traffic control, we don&#8217;t appear to need the federal government at all.
Instead, they&#8217;re thrilled that billions of dollars will continue to flow to the 40 million Americans on food stamps, even though 40 million Americans clearly don&#8217;t need handouts to afford food. It&#8217;s an absurdly, comically fraudulent program, and yet, to Republicans in Congress, SNAP recipients are worth mentioning in the same breath as military servicemembers and federal law enforcement officers. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Tonight, we ended the Democrat shutdown so that we can fund programs like SNAP and WIC and pay our troops, federal workers, and air traffic controllers. <a href="https://t.co/RdjMihaKeF">pic.twitter.com/RdjMihaKeF</a>
— Congressman Rudy Yakym (@RepRudyYakym) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRudyYakym/status/1988792508374216936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RepRudyYakym/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just finished voting to end the 43-day Democratic-led shutdown. Tonight’s vote gets our troops and federal workers paid, restores SNAP, and lets us get back to legislating. And even while Washington was stuck, I kept working for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CO03?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CO03</a>, securing $450,000 for new,… <a href="https://t.co/ztHJRjkVwu">pic.twitter.com/ztHJRjkVwu</a>
— Rep. Jeff Hurd (@RepJeffHurd) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffHurd/status/1988793628576133397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RepJeffHurd/X.com
One of those things is not like the others. We can all agree that law enforcement officers and military servicemembers, and air traffic controllers should be paid. That&#8217;s because they&#8217;re actually doing something. But SNAP recipients aren&#8217;t doing anything. They&#8217;re just taking handouts they don&#8217;t need. Seventy-five <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/do-food-stamps-make-people-fat-why-does-washington-subsidize-soda-and-candy-4d29659f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqf9M-dHq1KxNxYg2R3rBtTfRzhDXrxuROSMQy3inDPuj_R5GWLSCZxazNO0wfA%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69016d5f&amp;gaa_sig=3m34s8qxfaT1rrz3S9qsK1YT5Q7s9NSWqVFlMhWSRcBIx5iqK27Kj4Grph_Nord1e6MdtldEOcVw7Sx3QmyCcg%3D%3D">percent</a> of SNAP recipients are overweight or obese. If you break it down, according to USDA data, 44% of SNAP recipients are obese, 28% are overweight, and only 2.5% are underweight. So at a minimum, we can cut this program by 75%, and no one would be affected. We&#8217;d be eliminating a massive amount of fraud, right off the bat, if we required SNAP recipients to step on a scale before we gave them their EBT card.
But really, the scale of the fraud is much greater than that, because pretty much every SNAP recipient is taking advantage of many other welfare programs too, including WIC, which, for many Americans, duplicates what the SNAP program does. (Actually, there&#8217;s one important difference. WIC only offers a list of pre-approved items like milk and bread. SNAP, on the other hand, will happily pay for your Oreo cookies and your two liters of Coke.)
And on top of that, grocery stores and so-called &#8220;bodegas&#8221; often defraud the SNAP program in plain sight. A few years ago, The Daily Wire&#8217;s Luke Rosiak spent a week standing around in various stores, writing down what people bought with food stamps. It turns out that the &#8220;bodegas&#8221; — whose trustworthiness the SNAP program is 100% reliant on — were openly selling ski masks in August, pipes for smoking crack, and cigarettes. They&#8217;re just criminal one-stop shops. In some cases, as Fox&#8217;s Will Cain reported, cashiers will run EBT cards for $100 in food, but return $50 cash to the customer instead of groceries. And then the SNAP recipient will sell the EBT card balance to someone else. Additionally, of course, many SNAP applications are simply fraudulent and include incorrect information about income, household members, and so on.
For her part, the Agriculture Secretary just disclosed that 5,000 dead people are getting SNAP, and half a million people are getting SNAP benefits twice under the same name. And that&#8217;s just the data they&#8217;ve been able to gather from conservative states. Left-wing states aren&#8217;t turning over the data at all, because obviously, the fraud is even worse there. Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: In a jaw-dropping revelation, Sec. Brooke Rollins found 5,000 DEAD PEOPLE getting SNAP, and 500,000 PEOPLE getting SNAP &#8220;2 times under the same name.&#8221;
And that&#8217;s just what they&#8217;ve confirmed&#8230;
&#8220;This light has now been shined one of the most CORRUPT, DISFUNCTIONAL… <a href="https://t.co/GfCN49yAwN">pic.twitter.com/GfCN49yAwN</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1988766862994289135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @EricLDaugh/FoxNews/X.com
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins: “We found one guy [collecting SNAP benefits] in 6 states… under the same number… These are the red states that turned their data over. It’s the blue states that we’re trying to get data on.”
“Can you imagine if this fraud is happening in… <a href="https://t.co/iFbKI8zHO2">pic.twitter.com/iFbKI8zHO2</a>
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedWave_Press/status/1988775229225628098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @RedWave_Press/FoxNews/X.com
The Agriculture Secretary is promising some future action, which is all she can really do in her position. But that&#8217;s simply not good enough. The action that should&#8217;ve been taken, by every single Republican in Congress, was to abolish the SNAP program entirely. Don&#8217;t throw billions more dollars into the fire. Get rid of it. Keep the government shut down if you have to.
The fact that Republicans caved on this issue, by itself, makes this shutdown an abject failure for the party. Yes, Democrats didn&#8217;t get the Obamacare subsidies they wanted — at least not yet. And yes, if that holds, it&#8217;s going to save taxpayers money that would&#8217;ve gone to healthcare for illegal aliens and other loyal Democrat voters.
But there&#8217;s really no reason to think that this stopgap is going to hold. After all, Republican lawmakers have just demonstrated that they&#8217;re willing to tolerate billions of dollars in fraudulent handouts every year. Roughly 60% of these fraudulent SNAP handouts go to illegal alien households. And yet, Republicans won&#8217;t even condemn that fraud or mention it. Instead, they&#8217;ll celebrate the payment of SNAP benefits as if it&#8217;s some great win for the country because, at long last, the flight delays will end. We&#8217;re supposed to accept the proposition that your ability to fly on an airplane in this country — the world&#8217;s greatest superpower — is contingent on the ability of tens of millions of people to receive fraudulent benefits. That&#8217;s the position of the Republican Party. Give them about three months, and they&#8217;ll be rolling out healthcare subsidies for illegal aliens as well. Everyone knows it.
At this point, it&#8217;d be shocking if you could find anyone in this country who&#8217;s excited to vote for any of these Republican lawmakers in the midterms a year from now. They have refused again and again to take a principled stand on anything — from codifying the DOGE cuts in the federal government, to restricting H1-B visas, to impeaching federal judges who are flagrantly violating their oaths of office. And now, predictably, these same Republicans have decided to waste yet another opportunity with this government shutdown. Once again, nothing will change. Air travel will continue to be dependent on the federal government. Illegal aliens will get more of your tax money. And in January, when the next funding showdown is supposed to take place, we&#8217;ll probably get rolled all over again. That&#8217;s what millions of Republican voters have to look forward to. They can look forward to being taken advantage of, time and time again. The GOP majority can either address these voters directly and give them what they voted for, or they won&#8217;t be the majority for much longer.

US Capitol building at sunset

As The Longest Government Shutdown Ends, The SNAP Scam Returns

air traffic controllers

Federal Government

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Welfare

Despite Congress nearing a deal to end the government shutdown, air traffic issues are likely to continue to impact the American people after the shutdown comes to an end — especially those who plan on traveling for the holidays and those who want to order their Christmas gifts online.
Thousands of flights have already been delayed or outright canceled — and the issues are affecting package deliveries as well as passenger travel. The ripple effect could last for days beyond the end of the shutdown.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pointed out that it was not just human cargo being delayed or rerouted as flights were delayed and canceled — but also actual cargo. And as the holiday season approaches — and people ship millions of packages across the country and around the world — those packages are also likely to face delays.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent warns of the government shutdown’s impact on the economy leading into the holidays: “Cargo and people are both being slowed down.” <a href="https://t.co/fthuOU6ymG">https://t.co/fthuOU6ymG</a> <a href="https://t.co/P9diiuspqd">pic.twitter.com/P9diiuspqd</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1987534010042716215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; host Jake Tapper that if a deal wasn&#8217;t reached, air travel would quickly &#8220;be reduced to a trickle&#8221; — just as some of the biggest travel days of the year approached.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tells CNN’s Jake Tapper travel disruptions are “only going to get worse” and that “you&#8217;re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle” if the shutdown continues. <a href="https://t.co/blCpBtdDHH">pic.twitter.com/blCpBtdDHH</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1987550909132317067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked how many Americans might find themselves grounded for the holiday, Duffy was clear: &#8220;I think the number is going to be substantial.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Duffy on how many Americans won’t be able to travel for Thanksgiving due to air traffic controller shortages: “I think the number is going to be substantial.” <a href="https://t.co/7ILl4NX4lQ">pic.twitter.com/7ILl4NX4lQ</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1987551149382086808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Duffy went on to explain that the flight cancellations were based on only one criterion: safety. &#8220;This is not political. This is strictly safety. And I&#8217;m doing what I can in a mess that Democrats have put on my lap. And now I&#8217;m trying to keep the American people safe and keep airplanes flying,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Duffy on flight cancellations: “This is not political. This is strictly safety. And I&#8217;m doing what I can in a mess that Democrats have put on my lap. And now I&#8217;m trying to keep the American people safe and keep airplanes flying.” <a href="https://t.co/9WVyl4w8Ek">pic.twitter.com/9WVyl4w8Ek</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/1987551372326162552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
How far will the effects ripple out into the coming days? Only time will tell.
Since the air travel chaos could affect your holiday packages, it’s probably not a great idea to wait until the last minute to get gifts for your loved ones this year. So stop putting off ordering those wish list items and get your holiday shopping done right now at <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/?utm_campaign=air-traffic&amp;utm_content=20251111&amp;utm_source=editorial">Daily Wire Shop</a>.
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Air Travel Chaos May Get Worse Before It Gets Better

airport

Black Friday

Daily Wire Shop

Holiday

Jeremy's Razors

Mayflower Cigars

President Donald Trump floated a potential plan to reward air traffic controllers who have not taken time off despite having their pay frozen due to the government shutdown, suggesting that he could pay them a bonus of up to $10,000 for continuing to show up even when they were not getting paid.
Trump delivered the offer in a post from his Truth Social account on Monday, just hours after eight Democrats in the Senate voted with Republicans to break the filibuster and move toward an end to the longest government shutdown in American history.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> says he will recommend 10K bonuses to air traffic controllers who didn’t take time off during the “Democrat Shutdown Hoax.”<a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> <a href="https://t.co/24VyL2iCY4">pic.twitter.com/24VyL2iCY4</a>
— Amber Jo Cooper (@AmberJoCooper) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmberJoCooper/status/1987905839785726069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially &#8216;docked,'&#8221; Trump posted. &#8220;For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the &#8216;Democrat Shutdown Hoax,&#8217; I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.&#8221;
&#8220;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,&#8221; the president continued. &#8220;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.&#8221;
Trump took his message a step further, taking a swipe at former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration and adding, &#8220;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 &#8216;Administration&#8217; wasted Billions of Dollars trying to fix antiquated &#8216;junk.&#8217; They had no idea what they were doing!&#8221;
&#8220;Again, to our great American Patriots, GOD BLESS YOU — I won’t be able to send your money fast enough!&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;To all others, REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY. GOD BLESS AMERICA!&#8221;

Donald Trump

Trump Floats Plan To Reward Air Traffic Controllers Who Didn’t Take Time Off Due To Shutdown

Trump Floats Plan To Reward Air Traffic Controllers Who Didn't Take Time Off Due To Shutdown

Global Politics

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Americans on Sunday that if the government shutdown persists, air travel over the rapidly approaching holidays is likely to be marked by lengthy delays and mass cancellations at airports all across the United States.
Duffy spoke with anchor Shannon Bream on &#8220;Fox News Sunday,&#8221; where he reiterated the fact that his number one priority was to make sure that whatever air travel did take place was as safe as possible — and said that with a growing number of air traffic controllers missing work because their pay was being withheld, the only way to keep the skies safe was to limit the number of planes leaving the ground.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a> issues a stark warning about Thanksgiving travel if the Democrat Shutdown continues:
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to have air travel slowed to a trickle&#8230; It&#8217;s not going to happen. You&#8217;re going to have massive disruption&#8230; We have to be honest about where this is going.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/E5ZklhXKjI">pic.twitter.com/E5ZklhXKjI</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1987545285329907991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As I look two weeks out as we get closer to Thanksgiving travel, I think what&#8217;s going to happen is you&#8217;re going to have air travel slowed to a trickle as everyone wants to see their families, I think we&#8217;re going to see air traffic controllers, very few of them coming to work — which means, yes, you&#8217;ll have a few flights taken off and landing at our different airports across the country,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;But the thousands of flights that happen every day that move people around the country for this great American holiday, it&#8217;s not going to happen,&#8221; Duffy continued. &#8220;You&#8217;re going to have massive disruption, I think a lot of angry Americans, and I think we have to be honest about where this is going. It doesn&#8217;t get better, it gets worse until these air traffic controllers are going to be paid.&#8221;
Duffy was far from alone in this line of thought. ABC News transportation correspondent Gio Benitez spoke with &#8220;This Week&#8221; anchor George Stephanopoulos and he said that thousands of flights had already been delayed or canceled in the last few days alone — and that was only expected to get worse in the coming days. Benitez quoted a former TSA official as saying that the current landscape was simply &#8220;the calm before the storm.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Flight delays and cancellations are sweeping the country, with one TSA agent calling it “the calm before the storm.” Transportation correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/GioBenitez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GioBenitez</a> has the latest. <a href="https://t.co/6TcxOEe8NH">pic.twitter.com/6TcxOEe8NH</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1987524722423148748?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Commerce, Science, And Transportation Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing For Sean Duffy

‘Massive Disruption’: Transportation Secretary Warns That Holiday Travel Is Up In The Air

'Massive Disruption': Transportation Secretary Warns That Holiday Travel Is Up In The Air

Media

U.S. airlines and travelers slogged through a second day of flight cuts across the country on Saturday as the government shutdown was expected to drive more cancellations in the days to come.
The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4% of flights on Saturday at 40 major airports because of the shutdown. The cuts will rise to 6% on Tuesday and then to 10% by November 14.
The cuts, which began at 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) on Friday, include about 700 flights from the four largest carriers &#8211; American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
Airlines will cut fewer flights on Saturday than Friday because of lower overall volume. United will cut 168 flights, down from 184 Friday, while Southwest will cancel just under 100 flights, down from 120.
During the record 39-day government shutdown, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay, leading to increased absenteeism. Many air traffic controllers were notified on Thursday that they would receive no compensation for a second pay period next week.
The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on Congressional Democrats to agree to a Republican plan to fund the federal government, which would allow it to reopen.
Raising the specter of dramatic air-travel disruptions is one such effort. Democrats contend Republicans are to blame for the shutdown because they refuse to negotiate over extending health insurance subsidies.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it was possible that he could require 20% cuts in air traffic if things get worse and more controllers do not show up for work.
&#8220;I assess the data,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace.&#8221;
Separate from the cancellations, absences of air traffic controllers on Friday forced the FAA to delay hundreds of flights at 10 airports including Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Newark. More than 5,600 flights were delayed Friday.
Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers were not showing up for work on any given day.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)

U.S. Hit With Second Day Of Flight Cuts As Shutdown Drags On

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that air traffic would be slashed by 10% beginning on Friday at 40 of the busiest airports in the United States. CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/list-40-airports-faa-flight-cancellations-capacity-cuts-government-shutdown-proposed/">reported</a> Thursday morning that it had obtained the list of the airports facing major flight disruptions due to the FAA&#8217;s decision.
The airports affected stretch from coast to coast and include New York&#8217;s John F. Kennedy International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Chicago O&#8217;Hare International, and Los Angeles International. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference on Wednesday that the FAA is taking “proactive” steps to “keep the airspace safe” amid the government shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history.
The reduction in air traffic comes just weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, which is typically the busiest travel weekend of the year in the United States. Here&#8217;s the complete list reported by CBS News and compiled in alphabetical order:
<ul>
<li>Anchorage International (ANC)</li>
<li>Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)</li>
<li>Boston Logan International (BOS)</li>
<li>Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)</li>
<li>Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)</li>
<li>Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)</li>
<li>Dallas Love (DAL)</li>
<li>Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)</li>
<li>Denver International (DEN)</li>
<li>Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)</li>
<li>Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)</li>
<li>Newark Liberty International (EWR)</li>
<li>Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)</li>
<li>Honolulu International (HNL)</li>
<li>Houston Hobby (HOU)</li>
<li>Washington Dulles International (IAD)</li>
<li>George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)</li>
<li>Indianapolis International (IND)</li>
<li>New York John F Kennedy International (JFK)</li>
<li>Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)</li>
<li>Los Angeles International (LAX)</li>
<li>New York LaGuardia (LGA)</li>
<li>Orlando International (MCO)</li>
<li>Chicago Midway (MDW)</li>
<li>Memphis International (MEM)</li>
<li>Miami International (MIA)</li>
<li>Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP)</li>
<li>Oakland International (OAK)</li>
<li>Ontario International (ONT)</li>
<li>Chicago O&#8217;Hare International (ORD)</li>
<li>Portland International (PDX)</li>
<li>Philadelphia International (PHL)</li>
<li>Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)</li>
<li>San Diego International (SAN)</li>
<li>Louisville International (SDF)</li>
<li>Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)</li>
<li>San Francisco International (SFO)</li>
<li>Salt Lake City International (SLC)</li>
<li>Teterboro (TEB)</li>
<li>Tampa International (TPA)</li>
</ul>
Due to the government shutdown, air traffic controllers have gone weeks without pay, leading some to call in sick and seek work elsewhere. In an interview on &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends&#8221; Thursday morning, Duffy said, &#8220;We receive increased pressure in these 40 markets, and we looked at the data — this is data-driven — and so taking 10% of the flights out will reduce that pressure.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We are assessing the risk in the airspace. Delays and cancellations will be based on which controllers are coming to work.
Reducing 10% of flight volume will reduce the pressure on controllers, while prioritizing safety, and getting more flights out on time. <a href="https://t.co/AbMyfyJCV0">pic.twitter.com/AbMyfyJCV0</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1986437253552275509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Duffy added that he&#8217;s hopeful the decision to cut air traffic will result in more flights departing on time.
&#8220;We had massive delays at Newark early in the summer, and we reduced the capacity at Newark, and all the flights flew on time. There were no more delays,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t guarantee that&#8217;s the case here, but I&#8217;m hopeful that we&#8217;re going to have more on-time flights, less cancellations.&#8221;
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Wednesday that the decision to cut back on air traffic was due to evidence that air traffic controller fatigue has been increasing.
“We do recognize that the controllers have been working fastidiously for the last five weeks with this huge burden over their heads [from] lack of compensation,” Bedford said. “We are starting to see some evidence that fatigue is starting to build in the system in ways we feel we need to work toward relieving some of that pressure.”
Both Bedford and Duffy stressed the importance of taking precautionary measures to ensure air travel remains safe during the air traffic controller shortage.
“Our primary mission at the FAA is to manage airspace in the safest manner possible,” said Bedford. “That is our only focus.”

FAA flight reduction

40 Airports Face Major Flight Disruptions From Democrat Shutdown. Here’s The List.

Air and Space

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Tuesday that “mass chaos” and potential airspace shutdowns will affect air travelers if the government shutdown continues into next week, with shortages of air traffic controllers and TSA agents reaching a critical level.
“If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays,” Duffy told reporters at a Tuesday news conference held by Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick (R) and Sen. John Fetterman (D), one of only three Democrats who have repeatedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-daily-wire-sits-down-with-john-fetterman-who-doesnt-hear-from-democrats-anymore">voted</a> to end the shutdown.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: The Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown continues into next week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday.
Read more: <a href="https://t.co/8OnWWD1VUl">https://t.co/8OnWWD1VUl</a> <a href="https://t.co/dHrYJVreDQ">pic.twitter.com/dHrYJVreDQ</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1985763806228988307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”
Nearly 50% of major air traffic control facilities across the country already face critical staffing shortages as the shutdown extends into its 35th day, with approximately 13,000 controllers currently required to work without paychecks during the shutdown.
The Federal Aviation Administration <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/delays-safety-concerns-shortages-air-traffic-controllers/story?id=127055961">reported</a> on Friday that 80% of aviation staff in the New York area had called out, a problem Duffy only expects to worsen as the shutdown continues.
“If this shutdown doesn’t end now, air traffic controllers will receive another $0 paycheck,” Duffy wrote Monday on X. “Many controllers are not coming to work because they have to find a job that WILL pay them so they can survive.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yesterday saw another horrible record set: 84% of delays were due to staff shortages.
If this shutdown doesn’t end now, air traffic controllers will receive another $0 paycheck.
Many controllers are not coming to work because they have to find a job that WILL pay them so they… <a href="https://t.co/PHK4gwaPzt">pic.twitter.com/PHK4gwaPzt</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1985420348687516025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Delays and disruptions have already <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/07/flight-delays-shutdown-air-traffic-control-staffing-issues">impacted</a> airports in the Los Angeles area, Newark, and Denver over the past month, with Duffy stating that staffing shortages were the cause of 84% of the delays over the weekend.
The staffing shortages have led to many controllers working overtime or covering roles that other controllers would otherwise fill, in addition to their own.
“There is a level of risk that gets injected into the system when we have a controller that’s doing two jobs instead of one,” Duffy warned on Saturday amid a ground stop that was in effect at Newark Liberty International Airport due to staffing issues. “We will delay, we will cancel any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe.”
The shutdown shows no sign of resolution in the near future, as nearly every Senate Democrat has <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/04/us-news/trump-admin-may-be-forced-to-close-parts-of-us-airspace-if-shutdown-lasts-into-next-week-duffy-says/">voted</a> 14 times against a stopgap measure that would fund the government until November 21, using it as leverage to force concessions from Republicans to extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of this year.
The Obamacare tax credits were expanded under former President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the New York Post.
In an interview with The Daily Wire on Monday, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman said he didn’t buy his party’s justification for the shutdown.
“I think shutting our government down simply because we have to ‘fight,’ or because that’s part of this resistance, I don’t agree with it,” the senator said. “And I think we’re gonna hurt the kinds of people who are at the center of our party.”

CrowdedAirport

‘We Just Cannot Manage’: Duffy Warns Shutdown Will Force Airspace Closures

Department of Transportation

John Fetterman

Trump Administration

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Sunday that air traffic controller shortages are causing a “level of risk” that might necessitate flight delays and cancellations to ensure traveler safety as the government shutdown drags on.
Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” with host Martha Raddatz, Duffy was asked about various issues being caused by air traffic control shortages.
“Americans have experienced major delay. There&#8217;s a ground stop this morning at Newark all because air traffic controllers are calling in sick. The FAA is saying that currently, nearly 50% of major air traffic control facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, and nearly 80% of air traffic controllers are out at New York-area facilities,” Raddatz said. “We know that safety is your greatest concern, but at some point, might you have to shut down portions of the U.S. airspace, maybe even airports? What point are we at that possibility?”
After noting that he’s been speaking with air traffic controllers who are understandably frustrated as “Democrats are focusing on illegal health care,” Duffy stated that the administration will do what’s necessary to ensure passenger safety.
“We will delay, we will cancel any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe. But there is a level of risk that gets injected into the system when we have a controller that&#8217;s doing two jobs instead of one. We manage that, we look out for it, and safety is the priority. We&#8217;ll take all steps necessary, though, to make sure that you get from point A to point B, and you do it safely,” Duffy said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Transportation Sec. Duffy warns of a “level of risk” when air traffic controllers are stretched too thin, but says that safety is his department’s priority: “We will delay, we will cancel, any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe.”… <a href="https://t.co/CALMD4sufL">pic.twitter.com/CALMD4sufL</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1984995260431323486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Raddatz also pressed Duffy on a timeline: “How close are we to this point where you might have to close airspace or airports as we watch air traffic controllers calling in sick?”
Duffy responded that as expenses pile up for air traffic controllers who aren’t being paid, decisions will have to be made on supplemental employment.
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“And the problem is these controllers, a lot of them are new controllers, or they&#8217;re trainee controllers. They don&#8217;t make a lot of money, and so they may be the only person that is bringing money into the household. They have to make a decision: do I go to work and not get a paycheck and not put food on the table, or do I drive for Uber or Door Dash or wait tables?”
“I hope Democrats are going to come to their senses and open the government back up. But I would just tell you, as bad as it is, the numbers you just gave … if the government doesn&#8217;t open in the next week or two, we&#8217;ll look back as these were the good days, not the bad days. It&#8217;s only going to get worse,” the Transportation Secretary said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;If the government doesn&#8217;t open in the next week or two, we&#8217;ll look back as these were the good days, not the bad days.&#8221;
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks with <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@martharaddatz</a> about the growing difficulty ATC workers face while going without pay. <a href="https://t.co/x73HSd9XsC">https://t.co/x73HSd9XsC</a> <a href="https://t.co/mZpj7sku0n">pic.twitter.com/mZpj7sku0n</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1984995693518352749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Transportation Secretary: If Shutdown Continues, Flights Will Be Delayed, Canceled To Ensure Safety

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