NASA is working on a fast-track plan to build a small nuclear reactor on the moon in a race to secure space dominance over China and Russia.
The space agency believes it can launch a nuclear reactor to the moon&#8217;s surface by 2030, according to a directive sent by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who is also serving as NASA&#8217;s acting administrator, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/nasa-under-trump-aims-to-build-nuclear-reactor-on-moon-before-china-and-russia.html">reported</a>. The plan was first reported by <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/04/nasa-china-space-station-duffy-directives-00492172">POLITICO</a> and then confirmed on Tuesday by Duffy.
A nuclear reactor on the moon would provide a reliable power source for NASA&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/artemis/">Artemis campaign</a>, which focuses on &#8220;exploring the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars.&#8221; Duffy also warned that if China and Russia achieve their goal to power a lunar base with a nuclear reactor by the mid-2030s, the countries &#8220;could potentially declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States from establishing a planned Artemis presence if not there first.&#8221;
The U.S. lunar reactor would generate at least 100 kilowatts of power, enough to power around 80 American homes. To get the reactor to the moon, the United States would send it aboard a heavy-class lander, a type of spacecraft capable of handling large cargo.
“We’re in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon. And to have a base on the moon, we need energy. And some of the key locations on the moon, we’re going to get solar power, but this vision technology is critically important, and so we’ve spent hundreds of million [of] dollars studying,” Duffy <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/space/5436864-nasa-moon-nuclear-reactor-plan/">said</a> at a press conference.
&#8220;If we’re going to be able to sustain life on the moon, to then go to Mars, this technology is critically important,&#8221; he added. And I would just note that … we’re behind, right? If we’re going to engage in the race to the moon and the race to Mars, we have to get our act together. We have to marshal all of our resources, all of our focus on going to the moon, which is what we’re going to do.”
Duffy&#8217;s directive seeks to find companies that would be able to launch a nuclear reactor to the moon by 2030. The directive marked the first major announcement from Duffy as head of NASA since he took over as acting administrator last month after Trump pulled the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a friend of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, following a public feud with Musk.

Full Moon

NASA Plans To Build Nuclear Reactor On The Moon In Race Against China, Russia

China

Moon

NASA

Russia

Sean Duffy

U.S.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is taking over NASA as interim administrator, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.
Trump announced Duffy’s new role in a post on Truth Social. Who will lead the federal space agency has been an open question since the president pulled the nomination of his first pick, billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, last month.
“I am pleased to announce that I am directing our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to be Interim Administrator of NASA,” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114826109463640311">said</a> Trump.
“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again,” he continued. “He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time. Congratulations, and thank you, Sean!”
The White House pulled Isaacman’s nomination on June 1. Isaacman, who is a private astronaut and has led missions to space, was pushed by Elon Musk to head the space agency before Musk and Trump’s relationship ruptured over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and other issues.
On Sunday, Trump said he decided to pull Isaacman’s nomination to lead the space agency after the president learned that Isaacman was “a blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”
“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” said Trump in a post on Truth Social. “My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”
Isaacman pushed back against Trump’s assertions in a <a href="https://x.com/rookisaacman/status/1942294532202078437">post</a> on X: “I have been relatively apolitical — a right-leaning moderate — and my political donations across both parties (though 10x more to Republicans) were disclosed in writing, with rationale, before my nomination was ever submitted to the Senate.”
Isaacman said of his and Musk&#8217;s relationship that the two men have only known each other “professionally, but having flown to space twice on SpaceX rockets, I have a firsthand appreciation for what he and his companies have accomplished.”
After Isaacman’s nomination was pulled, Musk <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1928923374929014871">responded</a> in a post on X that “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”

Trump Taps Transportation Secretary Duffy To Head NASA

Donald Trump

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday sent a <a href="https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/memorandum/Governors_Safe_Roads.htm">letter</a> to every governor in America, as well as the mayor of Washington, D.C., and the governor of Puerto Rico, urging them to remove political messages from crosswalks, including crosswalks painted in rainbow colors that recognize the LGBTQ community.
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy told <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/07/01/exclusive-trump-admin-urges-governors-remove-rainbow-crosswalks-roads-promoting-safety/">The Daily Signal</a>.  “Today I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions.”
Noting that there were an estimated 39,345 traffic fatalities in 2024 across the nation and more than half of them occurred at intersections, Duffy implemented the Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies (SAFE ROADS) plan, which would “focus on the non-freeway arterials within your State, including safety and operation at intersections and along segments, consistent and recognizable traffic control devices including crosswalk and intersection markings, and orderly use of the right‑of‑way that is kept free from distractions.”
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Duffy gave the governors 60 days “to develop a list of arterial segments, including intersections, with the highest safety, operational, or compliance concerns that will be addressed by the end of Fiscal Year 2026.”
Rainbow sidewalks have proliferated across the nation in recent years. The list of cites with rainbow crosswalks includes San Francisco, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Washington, D.C., Nashville, and smaller cities such as West Hollywood, California — where the first rainbow intersection was installed in 2012 — Key West, Florida, Huntington, West Virginia, and Ames, Iowa.
“Crosswalk markings are classified as either transverse line or high-visibility,” the 2023 <a href="https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/11th_Edition/mutcd11thedition.pdf">edition</a> of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Devices for Streets and Highways — which is issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) — states. “Transverse crossing markings consist of two transverse lines. High-visibility markings consist of longitudinal lines parallel to traffic flow with or without transverse lines. Crosswalk markings shall be white.”
“The FHWA is concerned that considerable ambiguity continues regarding how colored pavement can be used, especially between the white transverse lines of a legally marked crosswalk,” the Department of Transportation <a href="https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/3_09_24.htm">stated</a> in 2013. “In 2011, the FHWA issued an additional Official Ruling<a href="https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interpretations/3_09_24.htm#fn4">4</a> that crosswalk art—defined as any freeform design to draw attention to the crosswalk—would degrade the contrast of the white transverse lines against the composition of the pavement beneath it. In deviating from previous Official Rulings on the matter that concluded an increased factor of safety and decreased number of pedestrian deaths were not evident after installation, this 2011 Official Ruling stated that the use of crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians.”

Rainbow Flag

Trump Admin Targets Rainbow Crosswalks: ‘Roads Are For Safety, Not Political Messages’

Department of Transportation

Rainbow crosswalks

Social Issues

The New York Times is under fire for what many are calling a bizarre hit piece on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The piece, by reporter Caroline Kitchener, calls Duffy the “MTV Reality Star in Trump’s Cabinet Who Wants You to Have More Kids.” Duffy appeared on “The Real World: Boston” in 1997, and “Road Rules: Allstars” the following year, where he met his future wife, Rachel Campos.
Duffy and Campos wed in 1999 and went on to have nine children. Duffy’s political career began in 2002, when he was named District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin. He served in the House of Representatives from 2011-2019. During his first campaign, he told Politico that his time as a reality TV star was “a lifetime ago,” calling it “Six months, 15 years ago.”
Still, to Kitchener, Duffy is still the “sex-hungry 25-year-old on MTV’s “The Real World,” now using his family for clout, and letting his personal convictions about family influence his policy.
Kitchener, who chronicles family issues in the “Trump era” for the Times, is a former abortion reporter for the Washington Post and received the Pulitzer Prize in 2023 for work on the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
She <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/us/politics/sean-duffy-reality-television.html">claims</a> the Duffys “positioned themselves as the poster family for the administration’s agenda to raise the birthrate and promote a conservative view of traditional family values.”
Her greatest accusation is that Duffy’s “policies and perspectives are shaped by the conviction that women should be having more children.”
“Early in his tenure at the Transportation Department, Mr. Duffy signed a controversial memo pledging to prioritize transportation funding for regions with higher birthrates and marriage rates — an approach that Democratic senators have called &#8216;deeply frightening&#8217; and &#8216;disturbingly dystopian.&#8217;”
Duffy dismissed Kitchener’s characterization, saying, “With all the serious issues facing our country, the New York Times decided to dispatch a former abortion correspondent (cosplaying now as a “family” expert) for a hit piece on me and the Trump administration.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
With all the serious issues facing our country, the New York Times decided to dispatch a former abortion correspondent (cosplaying now as a “family” expert) for a hit piece on me and the Trump administration.
NYT reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/CAKitchener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@CAKitchener</a> is genuinely disturbed that I’m happily… <a href="https://t.co/wrNTMFoK42" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/wrNTMFoK42</a>
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1937124269374292211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Kitchener “ is genuinely disturbed that I’m happily married, have nine kids, and—brace yourself—didn’t abort any of them,” Duffy added.
“Among the hard-hitting questions she harassed my team with: did I consider aborting one of my daughters, what color plaid my siblings and I wore as children, whether I drive a minivan, and bizarre fact-checks on an old reality show. Pulitzer stuff, truly.”
“I’m laser focused on making transportation great again,” Duffy added. “While they obsess over my beautiful family, I’m working for yours.”
Others were quick to criticize Kitchener and her piece.
“The former abortion reporter for the Washington Post is VERY mad that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a big family,&#8221; Federalist CEO Sean Davis wrote on X. &#8220;Apparently she sent a deranged list of questions to the family demanding to know why they didn’t abort their oldest daughter. What a psycho!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The former abortion reporter for the Washington Post is VERY mad that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a big family. Apparently she sent a deranged list of questions to the family demanding to know why they didn’t abort their oldest daughter. What a psycho! <a href="https://t.co/LfrTL9x0Vo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/LfrTL9x0Vo</a>
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1937140020030116227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
“Nothing demonstrates the plight of unhappy liberal women quite like this article trying to scandalize Sean Duffy for… *checks notes* settling down and having a big family,&#8221; White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nothing demonstrates the plight of unhappy liberal women quite like this article trying to scandalize Sean Duffy for… *checks notes* settling down and having a big family <a href="https://t.co/ag7q7sbJAZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/ag7q7sbJAZ</a>
— Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATJackson47/status/1937144235368874407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Duffy’s daughter, Evita Alonso-Duffy, said &#8220;it’s clear&#8221; that Kitchener &#8220;hates family, given how much the size of ours disturbs her.&#8221;
&#8220;The truth is simple,&#8221; Alonso-Duffy added. &#8220;We’re not a prop, a brand, or some act. We’re a real, loving, faithful, joyful family — and<a href="https://x.com/CAKitchener" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> @CAKitchener</a> is bitter and a creep.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The NYT just published a hit piece on my family, accusing my dad of using us as political props for his career. The writer, Caroline Kitchener, is an abortion reporter who now claims to be a “family” journalist. But it’s clear she hates family, given how much the size of ours… <a href="https://t.co/AkiicQXodp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/AkiicQXodp</a>
— Evita Duffy-Alfonso (@evitaduffy_1) <a href="https://twitter.com/evitaduffy_1/status/1937119749269311827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Lila Rose, a prominent pro-life advocate, said, “The Duffys represent everything the pro-abort side despises: faith, marriage, &amp; openness to life. The NYT is attacking them not because they’re wrong, but because they’re winning.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Duffys represent everything the pro-abort side despises: faith, marriage, &amp; openness to life
Married 26 years, <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanDuffyWI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@SeanDuffyWI</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RCamposDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@RCamposDuffy</a> are raising nine beautiful children with love &amp; joy
The NYT is attacking them not because they’re wrong, but because they’re winning <a href="https://t.co/l4I6ZexMoh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://t.co/l4I6ZexMoh</a>
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) <a href="https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1937184162219467052?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Announces Plan To Boost Air Traffic Controller Workforce

New York Times Abortion Reporter Slammed For ‘Deranged’ Piece On Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy

Abortion

Family Values

New York Times

States that do not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement will lose funding from the Department of Transportation, Secretary Sean Duffy announced.
&#8220;The USDOT will NOT fund rogue state actors who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,&#8221; Duffy said.
The policy also applies to cities that do not protect infrastructure from rioters.
&#8220;And to cities that stand by while rioters destroy transportation infrastructure — don&#8217;t expect a red cent either. Follow the law, or forfeit the funding.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDOT</a> will NOT fund rogue state actors who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
And to cities that stand by while rioters destroy transportation infrastructure — don’t expect a red cent from DOT, either. Follow the law, or forfeit the funding. <a href="https://t.co/cCRi4ALT23">https://t.co/cCRi4ALT23</a>
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1934659228750188941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The announcement comes after President Donald Trump recently ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers &#8220;to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,&#8221; The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-ice-to-step-up-operations-in-major-democrat-run-cities?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=18&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Trump+Orders+ICE+To+Step+Up+Operations+In+Major+Democrat-Run+Cities">reported</a>.
Trump said he directed his &#8220;entire Administration to put every resource possible behind&#8221; federal deportation efforts.
Trump&#8217;s announcement specified Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, &#8220;where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.&#8221;
Anti-ICE riots have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-liberate-los-angeles-shut-down-migrant-riots-and-insurrectionist-mobs">raged</a> in Los Angeles for over a week, with protesters looting stores, burning Waymo robotaxis, and attacking federal officers.
The riots led to Trump deploying the Marines and the National Guard to protect federal agents and buildings.
In Seattle last week, masked protesters surrounded an ICE field office with ICE agents and detained illegal aliens inside, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/masked-protesters-surround-seattle-ice-office-with-agents-and-detained-illegals-inside?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=33&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Masked+Protesters+Surround+Seattle+ICE+Office+With+Agents+And+Detained+Illegals+Inside">reported</a>. After agents successfully escaped with the detainees, the protesters attacked nearby police vehicles.
A &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest in Portland on Saturday also led to a riot at an ICE facility, where protesters threw fireworks, smoke grenades, and rocks at federal officers, The Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/06/15/rioters-storm-oregon-ice-building-injure-officers/">reported</a>.
Despite the violence, L.A. Democrat Mayor Karen Bass said she would &#8220;not put up with&#8221; Trump deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles.
&#8220;I’m with more than 20 state and federal elected officials, and together, we are here to say we will NOT put up with what the administration is doing,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/MayorOfLA/status/1933687520145064067">said</a> Bass. &#8220;Enough is enough. Stop the raids.&#8221;
Bass also said Trump&#8217;s recent ICE announcement was &#8220;manufacturing a crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;Make no mistake: this is illegal, divisive, and flies in the face of everything we stand for in Los Angeles,&#8221; she said.
Trump said the federal government will &#8220;reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration.&#8221;
“Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States,” Trump said.

Transportation Secretary Duffy Holds News Conference On Air India Crash

States Must Work With ICE Or Lose Transportation Funding, Secretary Says

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Los Angeles

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is revising fuel economy standards to make cars more affordable for Americans.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is resetting the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and medium and heavy-duty fuel efficiency programs (MDHD). NHTSA&#8217;s Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards regulate how far vehicles must travel on a gallon of fuel. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) of 1975 directs the Secretary of Transportation and the NHTSA to prescribe average fuel economy standards for vehicles.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making vehicles more affordable and easier to manufacture in the United States. The previous administration illegally used CAFE standards as an electric vehicle mandate – raising new car prices and reducing safety. Resetting CAFE standards as Congress intended will lower vehicle costs and ensure the American people can purchase the cars they want,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-announces-key-step-toward-making-cars">stated</a>.
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“EPCA was passed in the context of the Arab oil embargoes of the 1970s when American consumers and the U.S. economy were threatened by gasoline shortages and high fuel prices,” DOT <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2025-06/cafe-interpretive-rule-2127-ZA26-web.pdf">notes</a>, adding, “the purpose of the CAFE program was to induce automakers into offering America’s consumers more efficient vehicle options to advance the national goal of conserving energy &#8230; The statutory prohibition was clear at the time of enactment and has remained clear: it is impermissible for NHTSA to consider the fuel economy of dedicated automobiles in setting maximum feasible fuel economy standards.”
“NHTSA will reset the CAFE and MDHD standards programs consistent with the law,” DOT stated. “This interpretation lays the appropriate groundwork for standard-setting rulemakings that will rest the agency’s regulatory programs as determined necessary to bring them into compliance with Administration policy and applicable substantive statutory requirements as enacted by Congress &#8230;”
On the day he was inaugurated, President Donald Trump issued <a href="https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-01956.pdf">Executive Order</a> 14154, in which he stated, “It is the policy of the United States to ensure that all regulatory requirements related to energy are grounded in clearly applicable law; to eliminate the ‘electric vehicle (EV) mandate’ and promote true consumer choice, which is essential for economic growth and innovation, by removing regulatory barriers to motor vehicle access; by ensuring a level regulatory playing field for consumer choice in vehicles; by terminating, where appropriate, state emissions waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered automobiles &#8230;”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Marks Newark Airport Runway Reopening

Trump Admin Is Slashing Fuel Efficiency Standards, Claims It Will ‘Make Cars Affordable Again’

Automobiles

CAFE standards

Cars

Electric cars

Politics

Transportation

In 2008, California voters approved plans to build a high-speed rail line connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco, a roughly 500-mile stretch that would be <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-in-california/">covered</a> in less than three hours. The project, pushed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, was a major investment from the state and federal government, promising to kickstart the development of high-speed rail in the United States. 
That was more than 16 years ago. Since then, the estimated cost for the project has skyrocketed while the initial goal for the length of the high-speed rail has shrunk. Now, the Trump administration is <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">threatening</a> to pull all federal funding for the project, saying that the state has “not laid a single high-speed track.” In 2010, the project was awarded $929 million from the federal government, and just last year, under the Biden administration, the high-speed rail project received another <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/12/05/news-release-high-speed-rail-authority-to-receive-record-3-1-billion-from-biden-administration/?fbclid=IwAR32NHBuP8XAOTtGOnQwVzIbtBoaX9Ac2pH_jreJWIUcInwUE5zB8APlLGs">$3.1 billion</a>. 
According to a 2023 <a href="https://calmatters.org/economy/2023/03/california-high-speed-rail/">report</a> from Cal Matters, the estimated cost for completing just a fraction of the total project is now higher than the original $33 billion estimate that voters approved for the L.A. to San Francisco route. Completing the whole project, which the state says will “eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations,” is estimated to cost up to $128 billion, leaving California around $100 billion short in funding, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-21/high-speed-rail">Los Angeles Times</a>.
The first phase of California’s high-speed rail plan is much smaller than the original goal to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles. Currently, the state is still trying to build a 119-mile track connecting Merced to Bakersfield, called the &#8220;initial operating segment&#8221; or &#8220;early operating segment.&#8221; California is targeting a 2033 finish date for this first step, but the Trump administration <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">argues</a> that the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) doesn&#8217;t have &#8220;a viable path&#8221; to accomplish this first-phase goal by the deadline, let alone the 800-mile high-speed rail.
Newsom said last month that workers have begun the first phase of the project, “laying the tracks to get to where they start to lay the tracks.&#8221;
&#8220;It’s a technical way of actually doing the development in phases, so real tracks are being laid, and the formal track that will be the first-in-the-nation high-speed rail track is about to take place,&#8221; the governor added. 
<div id="attachment_929263" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929263" class="wp-image-929263 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2206305373-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />A cherry picker during the construction of a high-speed rail project in Madera County, California, US, on Monday, March 24, 2025. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy poured cold water on Newsom&#8217;s hopes on Wednesday, <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1930265652553531425">saying</a> that his department “has found that the California high speed rail project is in default of its federal grant awards totaling $4 billion.” 
“Here’s the cold, hard truth — there’s no viable path to complete the rail project on time or on budget,” Duffy added. “California is on notice — If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve @POTUS’ vision of building great, big, beautiful things again.”
Duffy’s announcement comes on the back of a months-long Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) investigation into the CHSRA. In its review, the FRA <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-releases-report-exposing-no-viable-path">found</a> that California “does not have a viable path to complete” the project by the 2033 target date, adding that “CHSRA has at least a $7 billion funding gap to complete the EOS [Early Operating Segment] with no credible plan to secure additional funds.” 
So what happened to this major project? According to the Trump administration, the CHSRA’s “mistakes and mismanagement” have raised a “reasonable question about whether continued Federal investment in the CHSR System is a prudent use of taxpayer dollars.”
<div id="attachment_929265" style="width: 900px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-929265" class="wp-image-929265 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg" alt="" width="890" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-890x576.jpg 890w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-300x194.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345-768x497.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2201813345.jpg 1140w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 890px) 100vw, 890px" />A rendering shows a high-speed rail train as it enters a station during an informational open house by the California High-Speed Rail Authority at the Hilton DoubleTree in downtown Fresno on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (via Getty Images).</div>
Newsom, who joined then-Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as an early supporter of the high-speed rail project, has <a href="https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=4fa48cb5-20c1-4a92-baf8-39a76dbb2a38#:~:text=SACRAMENTO%20%E2%80%94%20While%20mayor%20of%20San%20Francisco%2C,state%20bond%20measure%20to%20help%20build%20it">flip-flopped</a> his position on it through the years. Six years after pushing the project, he bemoaned the rising costs and delays and pulled his support, according to the Los Angeles Times. Just two years later, he again endorsed the project. 
Labor unions are also a major player pushing the $128 billion project, the L.A. Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-09/labor-unions-power-california-high-speed-rail-decisions">reported</a> in 2021. The State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, which represents 450,000 workers, has been a powerful voice behind the high-speed rail project despite the continued questions and criticisms swirling over the plan. The CHSRA <a href="https://hsr.ca.gov/2023/11/17/news-release-california-high-speed-rail-partners-with-labor-on-operating-nations-first-high-speed-rail-project/">partnered</a> with 13 rail labor unions to &#8220;cover an estimated 3,000 workers who will operate and maintain high-speed trains, facilities, and stations from the Bay Area through the Central Valley and into Southern California.&#8221;
Union support for the high-speed rail was a major reason Newsom flipped back to endorsing the project, according to the Times.
Newsom claims the project has made progress and remains on track to bring high-speed rail to the state. When asked about the project on Tuesday, the governor&#8217;s office directed The Daily Wire to the CHSRA and highlighted a clip of Newsom addressing the issue during a press conference on the state budget last month. In the clip, Newsom <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOeniD3QFqs&amp;t=7053s">commented</a> on the high-speed rail plan, saying, “You can see the progress we’ve actually made.” 
“We’re now on the other side of the environmental reviews. We’re on the other side of the land acquisition,” Newsom said. 
Newsom also pointed to a high-speed rail project in Texas that promised to connect Houston to Dallas, but the plan was <a href="https://www.railwaygazette.com/infrastructure/texas-high-speed-rail-project-grant-cancelled/68678.article#:~:text=USA%3A%20Transportation%20Secretary%20Sean%20Duffy,Texas%20High%2DSpeed%20Rail%20Corridor.">scrapped</a> in April after the Trump administration pulled funding from it. 
A CHSRA spokesperson told The Daily Wire in an email that it &#8220;strongly disagrees with the FRA’s conclusions, which are misguided and do not reflect the substantial progress made to deliver high-speed rail in California.&#8221;
&#8220;We remain firmly committed to completing the nation’s first true high-speed rail system connecting the major population centers in the state. While continued federal partnership is important to the project, the majority of our funding has been provided by the state,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;To that end, the Governor’s budget proposal, which is currently before the Legislature, extends at least $1 billion per year in funding for the next 20 years, providing the necessary resources to complete the project’s initial operating segment. The Authority will fully address and correct the record in our formal response to the FRA’s notice.”

Gavin Newsom

Trump Admin Ready To Pull The Plug On California High-Speed Rail Boondoggle

California

Trump Administration

On April 28, air traffic controllers lost all radar and radio contact with planes headed into one of the nation’s largest airports.
For nearly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers couldn’t see, hear, or communicate with flights inbound to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/air-traffic-controllers-newark-airport-delays.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newark Liberty International Airport</a> — a horrifying blackout that underscores the urgent need for a complete overhaul of our air traffic control system.
The culprits were a fried copper wire transmitter and a failed backup communications line — symptoms of an antiquated air traffic control infrastructure that faces mounting pressure with every passing day.
Although flight remains the safest form of commercial travel, we shouldn’t tempt fate. It’s foolish and negligent to continue standard operating procedures amid the aviation sector’s rapid deterioration.
At present, <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108162" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76%</a> of all functioning air traffic control systems are “unsustainable” or “potentially unsustainable.” Moreover, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/business/air-traffic-controllers-understaffed.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of towers nationwide</a> are significantly understaffed amid glaring failures in recruitment and training.
But these visible failures signal a deeper problem with American aviation: consistent obstruction of necessary investments in America’s aviation infrastructure.
Congress has repeatedly failed to allocate enough funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Even when it does provide funding, it is often distributed by agencies in an inefficient manner due to burdensome regulatory processes. At times, these bureaucratic hurdles block funding altogether.
With all the wasteful spending and other non-essential things American taxpayers fund, upgrading the nation&#8217;s air traffic control system is, correctly, a top priority for President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
But if we expect to keep our airways safe and secure, and ensure that America has the best air traffic control system in the world, it also needs to be a top priority for Congress.
To make matters worse, the FAA is presently without clear, stable leadership. Nearly two months after the president’s nomination of Bryan Bedford to lead the FAA, Congress has yet to schedule his confirmation hearing. Bedford’s nomination has received overwhelming support from airline industry leaders, and his swift confirmation would expedite the implementation of necessary reforms in American aviation.
Recently, Secretary Duffy reiterated the urgency of enacting such reforms, unveiling a comprehensive plan to realize Trump’s vision to restore safety and excellence to the industry. The plan includes immediate emergency funding for the most critical system updates, multi-year budgets so the FAA can prioritize innovation, and supercharging the air traffic controller training and hiring pipeline.
Cooperation from enforcement and budgeting agencies and their leaders is critical for implementing this ambitious and necessary plan and ensuring that funding is directed toward the most acute areas of concern. Once Congress moves to provide funding, swift action and coordination from departments like the Office of Management and Budget, where I once served, is paramount to seamless air travel and this plan’s success.
The funding approval and regulatory enforcement processes must be expedited so that funds can easily and efficiently reach air traffic control towers, operators, and training centers. We cannot allow these urgent reforms to be derailed by bureaucratic backlogs, red tape, and delays in leadership appointments.
Frugality to the extreme can quickly become recklessness — especially when it means gambling with the lives of pilots and passengers. There is no badge of honor for continuing to push off essential upgrades to ensure safety in the skies. We must ensure that the funding Congress allocates is distributed in a rational, efficient manner.
Once implemented, Secretary Duffy’s proposals will radically overhaul our air traffic control infrastructure by building six new control towers, replacing antiquated radars and communications systems — including WWII-era radar monitoring platforms and 1980s technologies like floppy disks — with updated wireless and satellite technologies, and streamlining hardware and software systems for a common national platform.
The American people have entrusted their safety to the government. President Trump and Secretary Duffy have answered that call with a plan of action. Once congressional funding is secured, it will be our agency leaders’ duty to steward taxpayer dollars toward this end in an efficient and responsible manner.
Overhauling our air traffic control systems will be a joint effort between Congress, the president, and our executive agencies. Together, their regulatory and enforcement work must be a catalyst, not a speed bump, in making the president’s vision a reality.
Once a paragon of innovation and excellence, America’s air traffic system has descended into atrophy. But this administration finally has a chance to enact the change we so desperately need — a chance to restore American ingenuity and maintain safety in flight in perpetuity.
Joe Grogan served as Assistant to President Donald Trump for Domestic Policy from 2019-2020 and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2017-2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

US-AVIATION-FAA-TRAVEL

It’s Time For Congress To Stop Gambling With Airline Safety

Air Travel

Airline Crash

Airplane

Congress

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Dozens of commercial aircraft were left virtually flying blind after a Monday outage at Denver airport’s air traffic control left pilots unable to communicate with controllers for 90 seconds.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, which oversees aircraft movement across nine states.
Between 15 and 20 commercial aircraft approaching Denver International Airport lost all communication with controllers when multiple radio transmitters failed.
While initial reports indicated an outage of up to six minutes, the FAA has since clarified that the outage was approximately 90 seconds, and that it is &#8220;investigating&#8221; the cause.
According to ABC7, controllers were already <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/outage-leaves-up-to-20-pilots-headed-to-denver-airport-unable-to-contact-air-traffic-control-on-monday">operating</a> on a backup fifth frequency when the system crashed, as four of the other frequencies had already crashed.
When the final frequency went down, a controller eventually reached one pilot using a seldom-used distress channel, who then relayed instructions to other aircraft.
David Riley, a retired air traffic controller with 32 years of experience, said this incident was a sign that the FAA’s equipment was “getting old” and is no longer a risk that should be tolerated.
“The biggest risk is you have airplanes that you&#8217;re not talking to. And then, therefore, the pilots have to try to figure it out themselves,” Riley said. &#8220;They still had radar coverage, but that&#8217;s like watching a car crash happen and not be able to do anything about it.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not acceptable. And the biggest problem is the fact that the FAA does not have stable funding to replace this equipment and maintain it in an appropriate fashion.&#8221;
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently acknowledged the outdated infrastructure problem.
“We should be using fiber, but it&#8217;s copper. We use radar from the 1970s. Some of them are from the 80s, but most of them are from the 70s,” Duffy said. “So, this technology is 50 years old that our controllers use to scan the skies and keep airplanes separated from one another.”
The Transportation Department now <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/08/us-news/transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-calls-for-multi-billion-dollar-overhaul-of-failing-air-traffic-control-system-by-2028/">plans</a> to ask Congress for billions to overhaul the system, including replacing 618 radars and upgrading all FAA computers that controllers use.
The FAA has experienced severe staffing shortages, with Newark Liberty International Airport recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/business/newark-airport-delays-staffing-shortage.html">operating</a> with just three controllers when 14 were needed.
In a statement to Fox Business on Thursday, the FAA <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/denver-air-traffic-controllers-temporarily-lose-radio-communications-aircraft">admitted</a> that the Denver outage was partially due to how the &#8220;antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce.&#8221;
The incident comes amid growing concerns about air safety following several high-profile aviation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/small-plane-crashes-on-busy-florida-road-killing-all-three-on-board?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Small+Plane+Crashes+On+Busy+Florida+Road%2C+Killing+All+Three+On+Board">accidents</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/passengers-forced-to-evacuate-after-delta-jet-bursts-into-flames?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Passengers+Forced+To+Evacuate+After+Delta+Jet+Bursts+Into+Flames">near-misses</a> across the United States in recent months.

Denver Air Traffic Goes Dark, Leaving Nearly 20 Planes Stranded Mid-Air In Latest Scare

General

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that he was moving a historic painting of Jesus back to a “place of prominence” at the Merchant Marine Academy after the Biden administration relegated it to the basement, he told The Daily Wire. 
Duffy said in a video addressed to midshipmen that the World War II-era painting “Christ on the Water,” which depicts Jesus Christ appearing to sailors adrift at sea, would be returning to its original location at the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. The Biden administration moved the painting from its decades-old location to the basement in 2023 after a complaint that its presence violated the Constitution. 
“We are moving Jesus out of the basement. To all the great midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy, you let me know how important this painting was to all of you,&#8221; Duffy said in the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H0WJQyB83JA?si=rnn8AtzLAifg94VN%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a>, which was shared with The Daily Wire. &#8220;Now, we all know it was taken out of a place of prominence and put in down in the basement.&#8221;
Duffy, whose Maritime Administration operates the academy, said he was working with leadership at the institution to facilitate the move.
“I worked with the Academy, and because this is such a historic painting, I’m announcing that through that work with the academy, this painting is going to go from the basement back to its place of prominence. It will be a moment to celebrate,” the devout Catholic said. 
<div id="attachment_920607" style="width: 759px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920607" class="size-large wp-image-920607" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-1-749x576.png" alt="" width="749" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-1-749x576.png 749w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-1-300x231.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-1-768x590.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-1.png 787w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 749px) 100vw, 749px" />&#8220;Christ on the Water&#8221; by Lt. Hunter Wood, USMS</div>
&#8220;Christ on the Water&#8221; was completed in 1944 by artist Hunter Wood, who joined the Coast Guard just 10 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Wood saw action in North Africa before working on a Coast Guard Combat Artist Unit. In 1947, his painting was installed at the Merchant Marine Academy’s Wiley Hall Elliot See Room. It was displayed at that location for almost 80 years, when the Biden administration moved it because of a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  
Duffy said that the painting will be returned to its original location the Elliot See Room. Last month, he received a vigorous round of applause from midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy after he called for they painting to be restore to its original location. 
“Can we bring Jesus up from the basement?” Duffy said. “Let’s not put Jesus in the basement! Let’s get Him out! Let’s bring Him up!”
Mikey Weinstein, of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, has promised to start &#8220;World War Eight&#8221; if the painting is moved, calling Duffy a &#8220;piece of s***&#8221; for advocating for the move. Weinstein claims that displaying the painting violates the Constitution and forces Christianity on students. 
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ted-cruz-backs-trump-officials-attempt-to-bring-jesus-up-from-the-basement-literally">sent a letter</a> last week to Duffy, praising him for the plans to move the painting and noting that there were no Constitutional reasons to keep the painting out of public view. Cruz said returning the painting would be an important step to protecting America&#8217;s religious heritage.

Department Of Transportation Chief Sean Duffy Holds News Conference On Ongoing Issues At Newark Airport

The Biden Admin Banished This Historic Jesus Painting. Sean Duffy’s Moving It Back To Spotlight.

Biden Administration

U.S. Military

World War II

Senator Ted Cruz praised Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for promising to restore a historic painting of Jesus comforting sailors adrift at sea back to a place of prominence in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy after the Biden administration moved it to a basement.
Cruz thanked Duffy on Friday for his commitment to moving the 81-year-old painting, “Christ On The Water,” back to its original location at the academy. In a letter to Duffy obtained by The Daily Wire, Cruz said that restoring the painting, which depicts Jesus appearing to sailors lost at sea during World War II, was an imperative step to protect America’s religious heritage. 
“Your public acknowledgment of the painting’s spiritual and historical significance was a powerful moment of moral clarity and leadership—one that resonated not only with the midshipmen in attendance, but with countless Americans who care deeply about preserving our nation’s religious and military heritage,” Cruz wrote. 
Last month, Duffy was met with a round of applause at the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, after he called for the painting to be moved out of the basement. The Transportation Department&#8217;s Maritime Administration operates the academy, and gives direction over its policies and management. 
&#8220;Can we bring Jesus up from the basement?&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s not put Jesus in the basement! Let&#8217;s get Him out! Let&#8217;s bring Him up!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Midshipmen at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy erupted in applause when <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDuffy</a> demanded a painting of Jesus saving merchant mariners be restored.
The Biden admin put a curtain over the painting before putting it in a flood-prone basement.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s bring Him up!&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/qQvLKXKE5r">pic.twitter.com/qQvLKXKE5r</a>
— Jon Brown (@JonBrownDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonBrownDC/status/1909780255633506322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Christ On the Water&#8221; was completed in 1944 by artist Hunter Wood, who trained at the Merchant Marine Academy and was in the Coast Guard. In 1947 the painting was installed at the Merchant Marine Academy’s Wiley Hall Elliot See Room where it was displayed until 2023 when the Biden administration moved it because of a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.  
<div id="attachment_918985" style="width: 797px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-918985" class="size-full wp-image-918985" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM.png" alt="" width="787" height="605" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM.png 787w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-300x231.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-749x576.png 749w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Screen-Shot-2025-05-12-at-10.18.22-AM-768x590.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px" />&#8220;Christ on the Water&#8221;/ US Merchant Marine Academy.</div>
“Your statement—&#8217;Can we bring Jesus up from the basement?’—was more than rhetorical. I trust it will be seen as an imperative,” Cruz wrote. “Thank you for your principled leadership, for defending our nation’s religious heritage, and for working to ensure that this government-commissioned memorial is returned to its rightful place.”
Cruz said the removal of the painting had no legal basis and was an example of the academy being &#8220;hostile to religion.&#8221;
“Its sudden concealment in 2023—done hastily in response to a single baseless complaint—did a great disservice to the Academy’s heritage and to the memory of those the painting was meant to honor. To this day, no legal rationale has been provided, and the painting is reportedly out of public view in a flood-prone basement,” Cruz said. 
In January 2023, the academy covered the painting with a sheet to avoid the perception that it was &#8220;endorsing&#8221; Christianity, following complaints about the painting.
&#8220;Our priority is to ensure the Academy is a welcoming environment for all and that it respects all religions without endorsing one over any others,&#8221; the academy said at the time. &#8220;In light of this, the Academy has chosen to cover the painting with curtains and will also install a plaque describing its history. The curtains will remain closed when official Academy meetings and events are conducted.&#8221;
Later, the academy decided to discontinue the use of the Elliot See Room for official business and moved the painting to a downstairs chapel area.
Cruz previously wrote to Academy Superintendent Joanna Nunan to argue that displaying the painting did not violate the Constitution, as Military Religious Freedom Foundation President Mikey Weinstein has argued. 
Weinstein has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKmyF-KUpTY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> to start “World War Eight” if the painting is moved back to its previous location, warning the Trump administration to “Eff around and find out.” Weinstein called Duffy a “piece of s***” and said the midshipmen who cheered Duffy were “cowards” who “made a mockery” of their oath to the Constitution.
Last week, Duffy <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/1919917774681317457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1919917774681317457%7Ctwgr%5E20725f8371ab5afe20016015fa273d316e88f5ea%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.faithwire.com%2F2025%2F05%2F08%2Fbring-jesus-up-sean-duffy-hangs-portrait-of-jesus-in-office-calls-for-original-to-be-rehung-after-being-sidelined-during-biden-admin%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">placed</a> a replica of the painting behind his desk at the Department of Transportation. 
“While we work on getting the piece out of the academy’s basement and back in a place of prominence, I figured there was no better place to hang a copy than right here @USDOT,” he wrote.

MixCollage-12-May-2025-10-35-AM-7052

Ted Cruz Backs Trump Official’s Attempt To ‘Bring Jesus Up From The Basement’ — Literally

Christianity

Jesus Christ

Ted Cruz

On Sunday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confronted the question of whether Elon Musk tried to fire air traffic controllers.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-power.html?campaign_id=190&amp;emc=edit_ufn_20250307&amp;instance_id=149417&amp;nl=from-the-times&amp;regi_id=78841373&amp;segment_id=192873&amp;user_id=2c0c856b2ce44b95592cc8015e73caee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> back in March that there was a clash in which Duffy vented about staffers from Musk&#8217;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort trying to lay off air traffic controllers at a time when the Transportation Department was dealing with multiple plane crashes. Musk reportedly denied the claim.
&#8220;Did Elon Musk ask you to cut air traffic controllers directly?&#8221; NBC&#8217;s Kristen Welker asked Duffy during a &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/transportation-sec-duffy-says-elon-musk-never-asked-him-to-cut-air-traffic-controllers-239336517927" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>.
&#8220;So, listen, we were having a conversation about, &#8216;Who do we preserve?&#8217; And, again, I wanted in those probationary employees to preserve air traffic controllers,&#8221; Duffy said. &#8220;We went back and forth, and Elon agreed, the president agreed. Of course you want to keep air traffic controllers. We&#8217;re trying to hire more of them.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;But I think the key is, &#8216;Can your government be more efficient?&#8217; We&#8217;ve had a massive expansion of government. You can actually be more efficient and still accomplish the mission of safety, which is what I think we can do. And actually, we are doing that.&#8221;
Welker pressed Duffy again.
&#8220;Did Elon Musk, though, initially ask you to cut air traffic controllers?&#8221; she asked.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;And did you dispute that?&#8221; Welker asked.
&#8220;No,&#8221; Duffy replied.
&#8220;Did you have a disagreement with him about that?&#8221; Welker followed up.
&#8220;So, Elon and I get along really well. He never called me and said, &#8216;Cut air traffic control.&#8217; He would never do that. This was a broader conversation about what positions are going to be preserved, right? So if we&#8217;re going to let probationary employees go, again, they’ve – they&#8217;re new employees. They just were hired on. Some might have been there for a month, some of them 10 months,&#8221; Duffy said.
&#8220;It was the new employees that we were going to let go,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Many of them have come back. But this is not the institutional knowledge of the FAA that&#8217;s being let go. Elon Musk understands the importance of the airspace and the need to have good controllers. Actually, [Musk&#8217;s] SpaceX launches through the airspace and the FAA. We want good controllers that know the airspace to navigate all the issues that come up.&#8221;

Transportation Secretary Clears Air On Whether Elon Tried To Fire Air Traffic Controllers

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Elon Musk

Executive

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