The daughter of United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is calling on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to be abolished, after she had to wait 15 minutes for a pat down, causing her to almost miss a flight (thanks to Rahul for flagging this).
In this post:
Transportation Secretary’s daughter goes after TSA
Evita Duffy-Alfonso, one of the nine children of Transportation Secretary Duffy, took to Twitter/X to rant about the TSA:
I nearly missed my flight this morning after the TSA made me wait 15 minutes for a pat-down because I’m pregnant and didn’t feel like getting radiation exposure from their body scanner. The agents were passive-aggressive, rude, and tried to pressure me and another pregnant woman into just walking through the scanner because it’s “safe.” After finally getting the absurdly invasive pat-down, I barely made my flight. All this for an unconstitutional agency that isn’t even good at its job. Perhaps things would have gone more smoothly if I’d handed over my biometric data to a random private company (CLEAR). Then I could enjoy the special privilege of waiting in a shorter line to be treated like a terrorist in my own country. Is this freedom? Travel, brought to you by George Orwell—and the privilege of convenience based solely on your willingness to surrender biometric data and submit to radiation exposure? The “golden age of transportation” cannot begin until the TSA is gone.
Someone pointed out how her dad is the Transportation Secretary, but she explained he isn’t in charge of the TSA, and if he were, it would be abolished:
He isn’t in charge of TSA. TSA is under DHS, which is run by Kristi Noem. If he did have TSA, he’d radically limit it and lobby Congress to abolish it.
She followed this up by stating how she’s happy that Trump and Noem are keeping out “terrorists and illegals,” and aren’t getting enough credit for that:
To be clear, I am 100% behind all that @POTUS & @DHS has done to keep out terrorists and illegals, especially at the border. In fact, President Trump & @Sec_Noem aren’t getting enough credit for achieving zero illegal border crossings and stopping deranged terrorists from coming into the U.S. But there needs to be more common sense around how we treat Americans exercising their right to travel. And I hope TSA works on improving their treatment of expectant mothers who don’t want to go through body scanners to protect their unborn children. We can do both.
I mean, what can we really make of this feedback?
There’s of course a certain irony to seeing the child of someone in the Trump administration complaining about the TSA, since this is an area where the administration could impact change, if they wanted to.
I’m a little confused about what the core of her complaint is, though, because it seems all over the place. She’s furious that she almost missed her flight because she had to wait 15 minutes? If so, maybe she should arrive at the airport a little earlier and “pack [her] patience,” as her dad recommends.
I suppose her point about constitutionality is that airlines or airports should oversee security screening, rather than the federal government. However, that likely wouldn’t actually change the type of screening that’s required, or cause the experience to be any less invasive. But I guess she’d feel better about it if the federal government weren’t at all involved?
Bottom line
Evita Duffy-Alfonso, the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, wants the TSA to be abolished. She’s angry because she had to wait 15 minutes after opting out of the typical screening process, over concerns of radiation exposure. She claims the staff were rude, and argues that the entire organization is unconstitutional.
What do you make of Duffy-Alfonso’s comments?
Karens gonna Karen.
Nine children - could we talk about population control? It's frightening to think that there are 8 more of these....
Abolish TSA.
She she believes security is not necessary
After renaming the Kennedy Center the Trump Kennedy Center it’s the icing on the cake after turning the White House into a bordello, confirming the US government is a bunch of f lunatics running a totalitarian state.
Quick, get Evita a slot on Fox. Then she can tell us how to fix everything.
Mommy already has that slot.
Taking a look at pictures of Duffy, is his nose at a bit of an odd angle from his face? No offense intended, genuinely curious if other see it too. Just slight case of Picasso nose there I think
Before TSA, can we make stupidity unconstitutional?
Certified moron. But what do you expect from a child of the Trump administration?
I'd be more understanding of the radiation concern but the exposure from a body scanner is far lower than the numbers seen from being in a flight
Correct. The TSA utilizes two types of body scanners - millimeter wave machines and backscatter X-ray machines. Per the NIH, “millimeter wave scanners emit extremely low energy waves- each scan delivers a small fraction of the energy of a cell phone.” “Backscatter x-ray scanner, the more common scanner type in the U.S., utilizes very low dose x-rays, similar to those used in medical imaging…backscatter x-ray scans deliver radiation equivalent to around 1–3 minutes of flight...
Correct. The TSA utilizes two types of body scanners - millimeter wave machines and backscatter X-ray machines. Per the NIH, “millimeter wave scanners emit extremely low energy waves- each scan delivers a small fraction of the energy of a cell phone.” “Backscatter x-ray scanner, the more common scanner type in the U.S., utilizes very low dose x-rays, similar to those used in medical imaging…backscatter x-ray scans deliver radiation equivalent to around 1–3 minutes of flight time.”
She's a moron. Her cell phone emits more radiation than an airport scanner. She was just looking for a reason to elevate her status among the MAGA fools and drive more of the sheeple to her podcast/book/website/christian camp/crypto scam or whatever other grift her family is in on.
What about a special lane for expecting families and/or families with infants. Thats where this conversation should begin. Most civilized countries care about people. The frustration of being stuck in any kind of security lane can be avoided with such sincere measures. Downstream agents are clear of needs for people in those lanes and are not overwhelmed with pressure of getting hordes of other people through.
TSA doesn’t care.
India, has separate lanes for males and females at their airport security although the cultural reasons why that's necessary are probably uncomfortable for many to explore too deeply.
As someone who's ran the gamut of solo traveler, and parent with young children plus stroller and bags, I do have sympathy for the concept of a dedicated family lane. Not that I find families as being a particularly frequent logjam (elderly Asians have that distinction).
The...
India, has separate lanes for males and females at their airport security although the cultural reasons why that's necessary are probably uncomfortable for many to explore too deeply.
As someone who's ran the gamut of solo traveler, and parent with young children plus stroller and bags, I do have sympathy for the concept of a dedicated family lane. Not that I find families as being a particularly frequent logjam (elderly Asians have that distinction).
The machines are sus - Michael Chertoff, who drove their adoption, is a demon in human form. All his motivations are ulterior, and we know at least there were no long term studies relating to the technology being safe.
While we'd all like to have a less onerous TSA, her take is just that of a young Karen. "Oh no I arrived late at the airport, and I refuse to be scanned, so now I need this pat down." The stupidity is endless. Get to the airport earlier, dummy.
Do you know who my father is?
I sometimes wonder whether people who continuously bash the TSA have actually tried the alternatives (within the USA)?
I used to fly in/out of MCI on a regular basis, and let me just say the private contractor they brought in to replace the TSA was and is no better or worse than the TSA agents they replaced.
As Alonzo and others are alluding to, it's the screening process itself that needs to be revised/improved (and,...
I sometimes wonder whether people who continuously bash the TSA have actually tried the alternatives (within the USA)?
I used to fly in/out of MCI on a regular basis, and let me just say the private contractor they brought in to replace the TSA was and is no better or worse than the TSA agents they replaced.
As Alonzo and others are alluding to, it's the screening process itself that needs to be revised/improved (and, dare I say it, evidence-based). Whether or not the person shouting orders at you is wearing a blue shirt, a black jacket, or an orange/green jumpsuit makes no difference.
Given the Administration's willingness to quickly shutter other entities, the fact that TSA still exists suggests the Administration doesn't want to shutter it. That being said, TSA is not unconstitutional. Its legitimacy is backed by case law. It might not be an efficient organization and one might not like it but it lawfully exist.
I have said the TSA should be dissolved forever. I completely agree with her.
So randomly interrogating brown people at a park is constitutional and a white woman getting a pat down (her choice) at airport security is not? (I'm just get this inevitable thread started..)
With a name like Evita and Alfonso, you'd like this might be a wake-up-call that her father is involved with a regime that might not consider her part of the 'in' group. Maybe, just maybe, we shouldn't run the society in these ways. Like, 'equal before the law' was a good thing. Favoritism for loyalists, cronies, and oligarchs isn't. And, no, abolishing agencies isn't the answer either.
Something needs to be said and done about the wildly outdated approach that TSA takes. I mean, it's 2025 and people just stopped taking off their shoes.
On a more serious note, I do think the radiation that the machines emit does need to be seriously talked about. Minimal but still invasive.
Yeah, and everyone needs to stop being vaccinated for anything because autism.
And Tylenol is murder.
And let's not get started on chemtrails.
:rolleyes:
You know, if you want me to pack my patience, I'd better get extra room under the seat in front of me. If I don't, it's getting checked and I'll pick it up at my destination... /s
I think massive changes could be made, but basically all of them would require funding that will almost certainly have to come from Congress. So not quite as simple as "Trump can fix it". Some things? Sure. Massive change? Not likely even if he wanted to.
I also struggle to find this article-worthy, even if one hates Trump. Children of politicians on both sides of the aisle express opinions every day. It would maybe be...
I think massive changes could be made, but basically all of them would require funding that will almost certainly have to come from Congress. So not quite as simple as "Trump can fix it". Some things? Sure. Massive change? Not likely even if he wanted to.
I also struggle to find this article-worthy, even if one hates Trump. Children of politicians on both sides of the aisle express opinions every day. It would maybe be a little more relevant if this was Noem's daughter instead of Duffy's, but still a stretch.
TSA should be mostly run by tech and AI. This is what AI was made for. Boring, repetitive tasks to spot anomalies. TSA personnel can take over anything that the AI rejects. Unlike customer service or software deployment where there's a huge human element needed.
Australia has already rolled out much faster and better screening. Therefore, no need for a job program of people mostly standing around. No need for Precheck and Clear.