Disastrous White House press conference raises more questions than answers about nationwide ground stop

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin offered shifting explanations for Friday’s nationwide flight shutdown, repeatedly blaming the Republican-controlled Congress and praising President Donald Trump during a White House briefing that left the cause unresolved.The secretaries stumbled through explanations and qualified earlier assertions. Emergency procedures had kept passengers safe, but aging equipment would fail again. New technology was working, but Mullin suggested upgrades had overwhelmed older systems.The briefing followed hours of disruption after the FAA halted departures nationwide Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” Duffy initially described a communications problem affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers and said technicians were investigating. “This is what the leadership of President Trump looks like,” Mullin said.Trump, who posts frequently on Truth Social, had not publicly addressed the crisis by the briefing. His secretaries nevertheless described him as deeply engaged through private conversations.“He puts leaders in place, and he allows them to lead,” Mullin said.Related: Robert Garcia demands answers as Trump officials offer few details on nationwide ground stop stranding flyers Duffy emphasized Trump’s interest in aviation. “He loves aviation. He loves the airspace, which is why he has been so engaged on this,” he said. “He understands it very well.”Asked why Americans had not heard directly from Trump, Duffy replied, “I don’t run the president’s comms.”The White House press secretary position remains vacant following Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure in October.A reopening without a settled explanationDuffy said radar information and communications became unstable Friday afternoon, with more than 3,500 aircraft airborne. Pilots and controllers followed emergency procedures to land aircraft safely. The airspace reo