Two weeks into his presidency, Trump faced a major crisis with the plane crash near DCA. He brought his unconventional style to the matter

Vice President JD Vance, left, shakes hands with Sean Duffy after swearing him in as secretary of transportation as his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, holds the Bible in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Duffy has quickly emerged as the public face of the federal government’s response to the deadly plane crash at Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

The Senate confirmed Sean Duffy as the next secretary of transportation, marking a return to public office for former Wisconsin congressman.

Duffy previously told lawmakers his priorities leading the Transportation Department include aviation and highway safety as well as addressing the air traffic controller shortage.

President Donald Trump is questioning the actions of the army helicopter pilot and air traffic controller in Wednesday's deadly midair collision in Washington.

Donald Trump’s administration—including Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy—rushed up to the podium to flatter the president after he used a press conference on the deadly D.C. plane crash to blame diversity hires.

Duffy does not have a background in transportation, similar to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg when he arrived four years ago.

President Trump says the army Black Hawk involved in Wednesday's collision was above the 200ft altitude limit for helicopters.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy promised to improve the nation's transportation infrastructure and systems after Vice President JD Vance swore in Duffy on Wednesday afternoon.

At a press conference shortly after 9 a.m. ET, Wichita (KS) Mayor Lily Wu said city officials were at the Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening when services were offered to family members of the doomed crash victims aboard a commercial flight that collided with a