Transportation Secretary Shuts Down Rumors That Elon Musk Tried to Axe Air Traffic Controllers

For weeks, the liberal media has been breathlessly pushing a narrative that Elon Musk, through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), attempted to fire air traffic controllers even as the FAA faced multiple crises. But this weekend, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made it clear it didn’t happen.

During an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Duffy shot down the rumors once and for all. When pressed by host Kristen Welker, he explicitly stated that Musk never asked him to cut air traffic controllers, despite The New York Times’ attempt to stir controversy back in March.

“Elon and I get along really well. He never called me and said, ‘Cut air traffic control.’ He would never do that,” Duffy said bluntly.

Here’s what really happened: Duffy and Musk had a broader conversation about government efficiency, including how to manage probationary federal employees individuals still within their trial period of employment. That’s the group being discussed, not seasoned air traffic professionals keeping our skies safe.

Key facts Duffy confirmed:

• Air traffic controllers were not targeted for cuts, and in fact, the department is actively working to hire more of them.

• The discussion involved only new hires, some with as little as one month on the job not veterans with vital operational experience.

• Many of those employees have since been rehired, showing the temporary nature of the efficiency moves.

• Musk understands the critical role of air traffic controllers, especially given SpaceX’s reliance on coordinated airspace navigation.

Let’s be honest: this is just the latest attempt by the media to smear Musk and discredit the efficiency reforms happening under President Trump’s administration. Musk, who leads DOGE as part of Trump’s second-term initiative to clean up bloated bureaucracy, has become a target for leftists who can’t stand that someone is finally taking a sledgehammer to their cushy government fiefdoms.

The reality is simple Duffy and Musk are trying to trim federal waste without compromising safety, and the data backs that up. Since the Trump administration’s second term began, non-essential federal hiring has dropped by 17%, while critical positions like air traffic controllers and border agents are being prioritized.

That’s what efficiency looks like. And the fact that legacy media outlets can’t tell the difference between layoffs and common-sense restructuring says more about them than it does about this administration.

The mission is clear: a leaner, more responsive government that puts safety and performance first not bloated payrolls and fake outrage.

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