Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday accused President Donald Trump of lying about his record and attacking air traffic controllers to divert attention from rising health insurance costs under his administration.
Trump Mocks ‘Boot Edge Edge,’ Alleges Air Traffic Control Failure
In a video posted on X, Buttigieg responded to a Trump speech from the Oval Office in which the president derided him as "Boot Edge Edge" and claimed he had wasted billions on a failed modernization effort.
Trump alleged the project involved "hundreds of countries’ work companies…… didn't even work a little bit."
Buttigieg Fires Back, Says Trump Lied About Air Traffic Control System
Buttigieg fired back, accusing Trump of completely fabricating his claims about the air traffic control system.
He argued the system was "in a pretty rough shape" when Trump left office and credited the Biden administration with modernizing communications and expanding the controller workforce.
"Other than mostly pronouncing my name right, everything he said was wrong," Buttigieg said, calling Trump's attack "disgraceful" amid a national controller shortage.
He also accused Trump of using the controversy to divert attention from rising health care costs. "Why would the President be picking a fight with air traffic controllers today of all days?" Buttigieg asked.
"Probably it’s to change the subject from how he and Republicans are increasing your health insurance premiums on purpose right now and from how he has totally failed on his promise to make everyday life more affordable right now."
See Also: Markets Cheer As Shutdown End Nears: These 15 Stocks Are Rallying
Trump, Buttigieg And Duffy Clash Over Air Traffic Controllers
On Monday, President Trump urged air traffic controllers to "get back to work," warning that those who took time off during the "Democrat Shutdown Hoax" would be substantially “docked."
He praised "patriots" who kept working and vowed $10,000 bonuses, while accusing the Biden administration of wasting "billions" on "antiquated junk."
Buttigieg blasted Trump's comments, saying, "The President wouldn't last five minutes as an air traffic controller… he has no business shitting on them now."
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy backed Trump's stance, saying, "Air traffic controllers NEED to show up for work!" while thanking those who continued to serve and pledging to "work with Congress to reward" their commitment.
Read More:
Photo Courtesy: Gregory Reedo on Shutterstock.com
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
