Tech billionaire Elon Musk has landed in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s crosshairs, as she takes aim at his newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its role in modernizing U.S. aviation.
Clinton ridiculed Musk’s team for lacking the expertise necessary to reform critical air safety regulations, pointing out that many of its members are too young to even rent a car—let alone overhaul the nation’s air traffic control system.
Her criticism came after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that Musk’s task force would spearhead aviation safety reforms, just days after a tragic mid-air collision between a jet and a helicopter killed 67 people in Washington, D.C.
Duffy made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Big News – Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.” Musk himself followed up, adding: “With the support of President @realDonaldTrump, the @DOGE team will aim to make rapid safety upgrades to the air traffic control system.”
But Clinton wasted no time firing back, questioning the qualifications of Musk’s team. “They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car,” she wrote in an X post directed at Duffy. “And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?”
For reference, most U.S. rental car companies impose an age restriction of 25 or older for drivers without hefty fees—a jab Clinton used to highlight the youth and inexperience of Musk’s 19-to-26-year-old squad. Beyond air safety, Clinton also accused Musk of leveraging his government ties to gain access to sensitive federal data systems, including Social Security and taxpayer records.
“Elon Musk is mounting a blitzkrieg-style administrative coup of the U.S. government, accessing and editing critical systems that manage everything from Social Security payments to private taxpayer information,” Clinton posted on her Instagram Stories. However, her remarks quickly drew backlash, with critics pointing out the irony of her accusations given her own email scandal.
Clinton, as Secretary of State, faced an FBI investigation in 2016 for conducting official business on a private server and mishandling classified documents in the process. Duffy himself clapped back, defending Musk and taking a swipe at Washington’s bureaucracy, according to the Daily Mail.
“Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out,” Duffy responded.
While some have praised Musk’s involvement, others fear that his unprecedented access to government systems—including Treasury data—could lead to manipulation of taxpayer funds, intensifying concerns over his growing influence within the Trump administration.
