At a press conference yesterday about Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s new airport initiatives — after he participated in a pull-up contest with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — in response to a question about lowering the cost of food in airports, Duffy said, “There’s not a lot of options. So I don’t have a plan to reduce costs.”  

In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement: 

“It’s not just Donald Trump who has no plans to bring down costs — it’s his entire administration. Prices are surging, layoffs are nearing recession-era levels, and working families are stretching their wallets to afford the most expensive holiday season in modern history. Meanwhile, Trump and his administration have done nothing but double down on their disastrous economic policies and brush off Americans’ concerns as a ‘hoax.’”   

At the same event, Duffy would not commit to supporting a Biden-era rule that prevented airlines from charging families more to be seated together. That’s after Donald Trump and Duffy formally withdrew another Biden administration plan that required airlines to compensate passengers for major flight disruptions and faulty services. 

Holiday travel this year is expected to cost more than pre-pandemic era levels, and fewer people are planning to fly this year for the holidays because costs are too high. To make matters worse, travellers are also being forced to tighten their wallets and spend less amid sky-high prices on everything from groceries to utilities to housing.