President Donald Trump, speaking from the Middle East Thursday morning, brutally mocked former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg over his embarrassing record of incompetence, particularly following revelations about Buttigieg’s mishandling of crucial air safety issues.
The latest scandal involves an inoperative emergency hotline between Washington National Airport (DCA) and the Pentagon—an issue linked to the tragic mid-air collision in January between a regional airliner and a military helicopter. Critics point directly to Buttigieg’s failures in maintaining critical infrastructure, putting lives unnecessarily at risk.
Trump didn’t hold back on mocking Buttigieg’s widely ridiculed publicity stunt of riding a bicycle to work—a move exposed as fake virtue-signaling after Buttigieg was filmed being dropped off by a gas-guzzling SUV only blocks away from his office.
“Biden didn’t do a thing for four years, and Pete Buttigieg was the head, and he goes bicycling to work. He takes a bicycle to work, can you believe it?” Trump said, openly laughing at the absurdity. Trump also ridiculed Buttigieg’s presidential ambitions, dismissing his superficial image-building, including an unconvincing beard grown presumably to boost his future political prospects.
Trump then emphasized the disastrous results of Buttigieg’s tenure, condemning the Biden administration’s wasteful spending and failed air traffic projects: “They’re trying to hook up air systems to copper, and copper to glass, and it didn’t even come close to working. They wasted billions of dollars. We’re going to have a brand new system.”
Indeed, under Buttigieg, air traffic infrastructure faced neglect, outdated technology, and disjointed management. Trump is promising major reforms, calling for a unified and modernized air traffic control system to address these glaring deficiencies.
Buttigieg’s record as Transportation Secretary was consistently marked by embarrassing PR stunts and ineffective leadership. Beyond the bicycle spectacle, his lack of attention to actual transportation issues frequently drew criticism from conservatives and industry professionals alike. Often absent during critical moments, Buttigieg was frequently seen on television, commenting on unrelated issues or engaging in partisan political fights, rather than addressing his actual responsibilities.
Conservatives point out that Buttigieg, far from safeguarding American travelers, consistently put them at risk through his negligence. Under his watch, airports faced chaos, air traffic systems became outdated, and critical safety communications broke down—conditions that contributed directly to dangerous situations like the DCA collision.
Now, under Trump’s leadership and newly appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the Department of Transportation is finally prioritizing the safety and efficiency of America’s skies. Trump made clear that the Biden administration’s dangerous incompetence and misguided priorities—symbolized perfectly by Buttigieg’s fake bike-riding stunt—will no longer be tolerated.
Trump’s criticism resonates with Americans tired of flashy political gimmicks and desperate for genuine leadership on essential public safety issues. His promise of reform is timely, following years of Biden-era neglect. Secretary Duffy’s immediate actions to revamp and modernize air traffic control signal a serious shift from Buttigieg’s superficial approach to actual, meaningful improvement.
The president’s ridicule of Buttigieg serves as a stark reminder of the Biden administration’s failures, but also underscores Trump’s determination to correct course and deliver tangible improvements for the American people. The planned overhaul of the air traffic control system is not merely overdue—it’s critical for the nation’s safety, efficiency, and reputation.
Trump’s firm pledge to eliminate wasteful spending and prioritize genuine infrastructure improvements represents precisely the pragmatic leadership Americans need. Buttigieg’s legacy of incompetence is finally being replaced with responsible governance, ensuring safer skies and restored confidence in America’s transportation infrastructure.
