Duffy, Nadler blast each other as liars in exchange over NYC subway safety

It wasn’t the only testy exchange with a Democrat during a House hearing.

July 16, 2025

DOT Secretary Sean Duffy and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) sparred at a House hearing Wednesday, accusing each other of lying about whether New York City’s subway system is safe — the fieriest of a series of testy exchanges between Duffy and Democrats.

The heated back-and-forth with Nadler came when the congressmember took aim at Duffy’s ongoing effort to portray the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s system as dangerous, saying his criticism has missed the mark. Nadler, who represents part of the city, said assaults in the subway were down since 2019, while Duffy countered that was not accurate. They traded barbs on the issue — until they called one another liars.

“Secretary Duffy, why do you continue to lie about New York City?” Nadler said.

“You’re lying,” Duffy responded. “Don’t call me a liar here.”

“I’m calling you a liar because you’ve lied continually,” Nadler said.

“If you’re going to force people into a subway, make sure it’s safe,” Duffy said.

The back-and-forth escalated to a point in which House Transportation Chair Sam Graves (R-Mo.) had to remind them to behave.

“Let’s remember decorum in the committee room, please,” he admonished the pair at the hearing, which was an open forum for Transportation Committee members to ask Duffy questions.

Later, Duffy and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) got into it over a painting of Jesus Christ.

Duffy this year has drawn attention to a painting of Jesus on the water at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy campus in Kings Point, New York, which MARAD operates. It had previously been moved to the basement. Duffy filmed a video about how he had returned it to the academy’s Elliot M. See Room.

Huffman said he was “troubled” the Christian painting was placed in a prominent location in a public institution that is multicultural, and asked Duffy what message that sends to people who subscribe to other religions — or don’t at all.

“I would just note that we have the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion,” Duffy said.

Duffy quipped that Huffman should be more interested in funding the academy better, citing some examples of students living in what he described as poor conditions.

“We have a First Amendment for a reason,” Huffman said.

Graves curtly slammed the gavel down to end the exchange.

Duffy and Rep. Henry “Hank” Johnson (D-Ga.) also got into a testy back-and-forth. Johnson asked the DOT chief how many air traffic controllers had left the FAA since President Donald Trump was inaugurated. Duffy said he didn’t know.

“You’re trying to tell us that you don’t know how many air traffic controllers are in the building, and how many have left the building, how many are getting ready to come into the building?” Johnson said.

“They’re not in the building, they’re in towers” and other facilities, Duffy fired back.

“Well, I’m just speaking figuratively,” Johnson said.

Duffy ultimately said he would follow up on the issue.

Context: Duffy has tangled with the MTA over crime concerns on its subway system. In March, he sent a letter to the transit agency, demanding information about transit worker assaults and fare evasion, and he threatened to withhold or redirect funds if it didn’t respond quickly.

In a statement responding to Duffy’s letter, John McCarthy, MTA’s chief of policy and external relations, said the “good news” is that “numbers are moving in the right direction: crime is down 40 percent compared to the same period in 2020 right before the pandemic, and so far in 2025 there are fewer daily major crimes in transit than any non-pandemic year ever.”

In the second half of 2024, McCarthy said, subway fare evasion had dropped 25 percent after spiking during the pandemic.

Duffy has also clashed with the MTA over its congestion pricing program, which affects vehicles traveling in part of Manhattan. The tolling effort has been a flashpoint in the region, but after Trump was elected in November, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul moved to revive the idea after she previously mothballed it.

The tolls took effect in January. The Trump administration a month later said it was revoking federal approval for the initiative, triggering an immediate lawsuit. A federal judge in May temporarily blocked DOT from killing off the tolls or retaliating against the state for keeping the program in place. The case is ongoing.


By:  Chris Marquette, Sam Ogozalek
Source: Politico Pro