Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is criticizing the President Donald Trump administration after resurfaced comments and new posts reignited debate over its rollback of airline compensation rules and its officials' advice urging passengers to "dress up" to improve air travel.
Duffy Urged Travelers To ‘Dress Up’ Instead Of Addressing Flight Problems
On Thursday, a video shared by FactPost showed Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy suggesting that improving air travel depended partly on passengers changing their behavior.
"People dress up like they're going to bed when they fly," the secretary said.
He added, "We want to push people as we come into a really busy travel season, help people out, be in a good mood, dress up."
FactPost also shared a Fox News interview clip in which Duffy suggested that improving air travel partly depends on passengers dressing more formally.
Hw said "Sometimes you just have to ask people… let's go back to an era where we didn't wear our pajamas to the airport. We actually might dress up a little bit."
Warren Blasts Airline Rule Rollbacks That Removed Passenger Protections
Warren responded sharply on X, arguing the administration focused on superficial advice rather than meaningful consumer protections.
"I bet fliers would be in a better mood if the Trump administration didn't just rip away rules that make airlines compensate people for canceled and delayed flights," she wrote.
Flight Cuts Deepen Amid Controller Shortages
Earlier this month, President Trump demanded that air traffic controllers return to work as the government shutdown triggered widespread flight cancellations and delays.
With the shutdown nearing 41 days, nearly 1.2 million travelers faced disruptions, and the FAA reported severe staffing shortages at major airports nationwide.
More than 2,250 flights were canceled and over 8,100 were delayed on Monday alone.
As the shutdown stretched past 39 days, airlines canceled hundreds of flights due to controller shortages.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said more than 220 flights were grounded in one day, mostly on smaller routes.
The Trump administration also warned that up to 20% of flights may need to be cut if the shutdown continued, with the Federal Aviation Administration already enforcing initial reductions amid rising absenteeism and safety concerns.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Elizabeth Warren | Photo courtesy: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com
