Writing: Travel Secretary Sean Duffy “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nove. 2025
The following is a transcript of an interview with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy that was removed from “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on November 2, 2025.
Margaret Brennan: We now go to the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, who joins us this morning from the hills of New Jersey. You are welcome to face the nation.
Travel Secretary Sean Duffy: Hello, thank you, Margaret, good to have you.
Margaret Brennan: So our CBS poll shows that there is real concern among the American people about the effect of the shutdown on all transportation. Should Americans have security concerns at this time?
Sec. Duffy: I think that’s a good question. We are working overtime to make sure the system is safe. And we’re going to slow traffic down, you’re going to see delays, we’re going to have canceled flights to make sure the system is safe. But we have to be honest, when we have regulators, when we have shortages and towers and tents doing double duty, is there more risk in the system? Sure, it happens. But again, we always control that. Also, we don’t want to crash, we want people to travel safely, so we’ll reduce the power to travel on the road if we don’t think we can handle it safely that’s the point
Margaret Brennan: Well, I saw that the FAA said, up in New York, 80% of the runways are not at the airports in New York, and that day, there was a Miss at Laguardia Airport. One unitary plane is joined by another. Was that a plane error? Or was that linked to some kind of shortage?
Sec. Duffy: Well, you mentioned the lack of air traffic controllers at New York AirSpace. We had a few days ago, three hour delays all over New York. Also, I haven’t gotten a reading yet on whether that was the driver’s fault. And usually, when these planes fly very close to each other, it is their job to stay away from each other. That’s not the controllers, it’s usually the driver’s fault. But again, I’ll have to look and see what guidance is given to you by air traffic controllers. But it is usually the responsibility of the driver to stay away from the plane on the Tarmac.
Margaret Brennan: So if this closure continues, how does it become an emergency in terms of the safety of passengers and the safety of those who are trying to thank in a few weeks.
Sec. Duffy: Yeah, does it become a flight emergency, a safety issue? No, we will stop the traffic. Therefore, we will not allow that to happen. I think the real implications are, what kind of delay is wrapped up in the whole system, right? We’ve seen problems in LA, Dallas, DC, Boston, Atlanta. And so I think it’s only going to grow. We have controls, some of which are new controls. We have trained controllers who are very helpful in the tower. They don’t make much money, and now they are facing a dispute, they don’t have a salary for more than a month. They are faced with a decision: Do I put food on my children’s table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent or do I go to work and pay? They make decisions. I encouraged them all to work. I want them to come to work, but they make life choices they shouldn’t. Let’s open up the government. Let’s pay these people, these young administrators. Margaret, it’s very important, I think you covered this, we don’t have the best equipment in our towers and air traffic control centers. But we have the safest airspace, we have the most efficient airspace because we have the best airspace managers in the world working our skies and keeping our people safe. They deserve to pay.
Margaret Brennan: Yes, given that they are very important, is there any way that the administration can get a pot of money like getting others, like the military, to pay the administrators so that they can operate? Why can’t managers do that?
Sec. Duffy: Yeah, well, I think that’s a good question. So we did everything we could. President Trump has done everything in his power to ease the pain of the shutdown for the American people. And, he remembers under Barack Obama’s shutdown, he was trying to close open parks in Washington, DC, and close parks and sidewalks. President Trump has tried to make it painful for the American people. So we’re looking for important workers’ compensation pots, but there are strict rules surrounding how much money we can spend and how we can spend it, and how we should use the law. And so we were able to support a mid-range air service, a service to more rural communities. We have kept our academy and run so far. We don’t have a ton of time, a few weeks of that money. But I don’t have the resources to do that, and the simple answer is, vote to open the government, negotiate your side. Okay, that’s right. But again, these people have to be paid. And to say it’s Donald Trump’s fault, to say he should get money, when the Democrats said there’s no money for you because we shut down the government, that’s being analyzed. And the Democrats are trying to do that, and I don’t think it’s really working. Give money and we will pay the administrators.
Margaret Brennan: Yes, well, I’ve seen reports that air traffic controllers who receive Air Prafitor only receive partial payments – and this last week they missed it completely. So speaking frankly, for those in these jobs, would you advise them to take some time off and work somewhere else?
Sec. Duffy: No, I’m asking them clearly, they’re coming to work. It’s your job to work, and eventually you’ll get paid. But as I have traveled around the country and talked to aviation regulators, they have told me that most of them can run at a ridiculous loss. None of them can handle two lost paychecks. And they’re like every American family, everybody watching your show today as they think about their finances, how many paychecks can they miss before they become a real stressor, a real conflict? And so- In the future- In the future, they will receive a notification of what their next payment will be. And if the government is not opened, the notification will be another big oil zero, and you will see more likely to make decisions to support their families, put food on their table, gas in their cars, compared to work. It’s not what I want, but I’m a lizard so, Margaret, these are life and survival decisions that people in control have to make. By the way, it’s professional, too. We have old machines. We have technicians working in the towers that keep the machines running. They are not paid. I have train inspectors who work to keep our trains running and running safely. They work without pay. I have Pipeline inspectors, same thing. Beyond the program. We have many people working without pay. We’re talking about air traffic controllers, but I have thousands of workers who wake up, do the work and try to keep this system safe for the American people every time they don’t get paid.
Margaret Brennan: understandable. So he once said back at Fox Business on October 9 that “I can’t have people not showing up for work and being let go.” There is a shortage of 4,000 controllers. You don’t shoot people, do you? You can’t afford it.
Sec. Duffy: No, so there- we’re 2-3,000-3,000 controllers, but that’s a big number. And you make an interesting point, because I’ve tried to get air traffic controllers into the system through our Academy. Margaret, we are up 20% controlled by the Academy this year alone. It takes a year to two for them to be confirmed on the tower, but this closure affects my pipeline of controllers. And since everyone is forgetting about air traffic control and the shutdown, I will face the consequences of, again, bringing the Americans and giving more controllers to the towers, not less. And you bring up a good point. We have already been stressed that we do not have enough regulators in our system, and this closure, where we are forcing workers where they cannot enter because they are supporting their families and putting food on their tables. Long-term effects–
Margaret Brennan: So you’re not going to fire him?
Sec. Duffy: I don’t plan on shooting control. No, listen, I don’t have it, and when we make decisions to feed their families, I’m not going to pick up air traffic controllers. I am with him, I have loved and supported them as they try to go through this process and it is a challenge for them. They need support, they need money, they need fees. They don’t have to be fired.
Margaret Brennan: Right. Secretary duffy, thank you for your time this morning. We will go back.
