In a recent display of verbal gymnastics that could rival a Cirque du Soleil performance, Donald Trump took to the stage to address a pressing issue: a purported “crisis” in the United States air traffic control system. His remarks, however, veered into a chaotic mix of finger-pointing and nonsensical rambling, particularly directed at former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Video:
Trump proclaimed:
“I was all set before we had the rigged election to give out a brand new, gorgeous system to one company that was gonna do it all.”
“One of the best companies in the world that you know very well, there are three or four of ’em that do it. And when they took over Buttigieg, who has no clue. You know, he drives to work on his bicycle with his husband on the back, which is a nice, loving relationship.”
“But he didn’t have a clue. This guy didn’t know what he was doing and he took what they call dry systems where you have wires buried in the earth. And then you had the open-air systems where you have satellites, and you can’t mesh them.”
“They spent tens of billions of dollars trying to merge old, broken equipment with new systems. Wow. They spent like $40 billion and made it worse because it doesn’t work together.”
“You could have bought a whole new system.”
“So we have a very good guy who you all know, Sean Duffy is head of Transportation, and I’ve given him a 10-minute lesson in buying, and he’s become really good. We are now in the market to buy a gorgeous, brand new system.”
“The helicopter that crashed into the plane at 400 feet shouldn’t have happened. There would have been bells and sirens going off three minutes before that accident if you had the right equipment.”
“But we have an obsolete system, and what they did is the worst. You can’t combine the really old, broken stuff with the new stuff.”
“So, do you think Biden figured this out? I don’t think so. He doesn’t know what the hell is happening. Here’s the story: We’re gonna buy a brand new, state-of-the-art system soon.”
And as Trump continued his soliloquy, the narrative took an even more convoluted turn, with him boasting about his pilots—military and otherwise—while conveniently ignoring the reality that his claims of a revolutionary air traffic control system were nothing more than smoke and mirrors.
The truth is, such a monumental overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system cannot be executed unilaterally by the president. It necessitates congressional approval and funding—a fact that Trump seems blissfully unaware of amidst his tirade.
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Buttigieg has actually taken significant steps to reverse decades of decline in air traffic controller staffing, exceeding his goal of hiring 1,800 new controllers by 2024. In stark contrast, when Trump took office, he initiated cuts that undermined these critical hires and dismantled essential leadership structures.
Ultimately, this situation is a product of Trump’s own making, and his attempts to lay blame at Buttigieg’s feet are not only misplaced but also a distraction from his administration’s past missteps.
What are your thoughts on Trump’s recent outburst? Share your comments below.
