Today, a top Trump official joined the chorus of DOGE critics — at least, from behind closed doors. That would be Federal Aviation Administration chief Bryan Bedford, who told staffers during a private town hall that DOGE’s cuts are the last thing his agency needs as it scrambles to improve airline safety.
“I’m not here to DOGE the FAA, okay? That is not my gig. That’s not what the president asked me to do,” Bedford said in the meeting, which What A Day attended. “The president asked to fix it. Whatever resources you need, let’s get it fixed. Let’s fix it right? Let’s build a new system. Spare no expense.”
Instead, Bedford listed DOGE among the many challenges facing the agency, along with “equipment struggles” and “reliability problems.” He continued: “It’s a very unsettling time, when we actually need to be more focused than ever about carrying out our mission.”
Bedford’s remarks amount to a repudiation of DOGE, after FAA jobs cuts prompted an exodus from the agency and concerns about air safety in the wake of deadly crashes earlier this year. Bedford, a longtime airline CEO who lied for years about having his commercial pilot’s license, seemed focused on a new mission: Boost the morale that Trump’s top lackeys have demolished. “Anybody who thinks, ‘Oh gosh, efficiency is going to mean fewer jobs,’ just isn’t paying attention.” Bedford said. “The agency has got a huge growth mission ahead of it.”
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