‘Why Wouldn’t I Ask Elon Musk?’ [WATCH]

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy defended his decision to seek input from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on improving the nation’s air traffic control system after being pressed on the issue during a CBS interview Thursday.

Duffy has been focused on air traffic control reforms following the deadly mid-air collision on Jan. 29 between a commuter flight and an Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.

The crash, which resulted in the deaths of all 67 individuals on both aircraft, has renewed discussions on the efficiency and safety of the nation’s aviation system.

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CBS reporter Kris Van Cleave questioned Duffy on why he brought Musk, who also serves as Chairman of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to tour the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) command center and provide feedback on its operations.

“Why wouldn’t I ask Elon Musk? Why wouldn’t I ask some of the best minds in the world to come in and offer us advice on how they think we can improve the system?” Duffy responded.

Van Cleave then asked about potential conflicts of interest involving Musk’s involvement in evaluating the FAA’s operations.

“I don’t want to see conflicts of interest, so he was talking to air traffic controllers, didn’t plug into the system, but looked at the terminals that they use, the technology that they use, asked them, had a back and forth about what works well for you, what doesn’t work well,” Duffy explained.

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Musk was appointed as co-chair of DOGE by President Donald Trump on Nov. 12, along with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy later stepped down from the position on Jan. 20 to pursue a gubernatorial bid in Ohio.

Musk, known for founding Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and acquiring Twitter—now rebranded as X—has been a key figure in technological innovation across multiple industries.

His companies have led advancements in space travel, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure development, and he has repeatedly expressed his ambitions to colonize Mars.

Despite claims by some media outlets and Democratic officials, Duffy confirmed that the Trump administration has not fired any air traffic controllers.

Instead, the focus has been on modernization and efficiency improvements within the system.

“When you think of DOGE or America thinks of DOGE, they think of cutting, right? We’re in the space of building,” Duffy stated.

“I want advice on how do we build up better infrastructure. And we’re going to spend money to do that.”

Duffy emphasized the need to expedite reforms, arguing that regulatory delays could hinder progress.

“We have to get — get rid of the red tape and we have to do this very quickly,” he said.

“We can’t wait 4 years, 6 years, 10 years. We have to do it right now.”

The discussion over air traffic control reform and modernization is expected to continue as the Trump administration looks to implement changes aimed at enhancing safety and efficiency in the U.S. aviation system.

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