Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a jab at MAGA following two fatal plane crashes in the United States.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Transportation (DOT) via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Airplane incidents and close calls nationwide have raised concerns about safety protocols. In a news conference after the fatal midair collision last week near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump questioned if Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) may be to blame.
During the press briefing after the collision last week, Trump also questioned the capabilities of the air traffic controllers and the path of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash.
In a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report obtained by the Associated Press, officials say one air traffic controller was overseeing both helicopter traffic and planes arriving and departing Reagan National at the time of the collision. The FAA report said the personnel configuration was "not normal" but that overall staffing was typical.
A medical transportation jet also crashed last week after takeoff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The crash, which occurred near a shopping mall in a busy intersection of town during the evening rush hour, killed seven people, including six on board the jet.
What To Know
Clinton and new Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy went back and forth in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday about the current state of airline safety.
Duffy posted on Wednesday that the Department of Government Efficiency will be working with the DOT "to help upgrade our aviation system." DOGE is run by Elon Musk and is tasked with cutting financial waste from the federal budget.
Referring to DOGE's employees, Clinton said, "They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren't old enough to rent a car. And you're going to let them mess with airline safety that's already deteriorated on your watch?"
Duffy responded that Clinton needed to "sit this one out."
Clinton pointed out that there had not been a fatal commercial airline crash in the United States in 16 years. "Then MAGA fired the FAA chief, gutted the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, and threatened air traffic controllers with layoffs," Clinton said. "Now there have been two fatal crashes. Hope your unvetted 22-year-olds fix things fast."
Duffy replied: "I know you're lashing out because DOGE is uncovering your family's obscene grifting via USAID, but I won't let you lie and distort facts. The FAA administrator announced he resigned over a month before Trump took office, and the air traffic controllers were always exempt from Trump's civil service buyouts.
"The previous administration shamelessly used USDOT as a slush fund for the Green New Scam, throwing away money and resources on wasteful environmental and social justice projects rather than updating our nation's antiquated air traffic control systems and other critical infrastructure.
"I'm returning this department to its mission of safety by using innovative technology in transportation and infrastructure. Your team had its chance and failed. We're moving on without you because the American people want us to make America's transportation system great again. And yes, we're bringing the 22-year-olds with us."
What People Are Saying
Conservative activist Riley Gaines, Thursday on X, replying to Duffy's latest post: "This....is amazing."
Political commentator Chris Cillizza, on X, replying to Clinton's post about MAGA: "Irresponsible by Clinton ZERO evidence any of these changes had anything to do with the DC crash It was irresponsible for Trump to play politics with this. Same goes for Clinton."
Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, on X: "Hillary Clinton is vile. Everything she says here is deliberate effort to mislead and stoke division over a terrible aviation accident. The FAA chief is a politically appointed position and they resigned during the transition, as is customary."
Writer and consultant Tom Watson, on X: "Hillary Clinton dunking on the Real World's Sean Duffy and his teen aviation engineers is kinda the caffeine I needed today."
What Happens Next
Recovery of the plane and helicopter involved in the midair collision remains ongoing this week. Once the plane is retrieved, it will be moved "to a secure location for a wreckage layout examination," the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in an update on Tuesday.
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