Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dismissed the criticism some have made over the Department of Transportation’s firings, telling Democrats, “give me a break” as he seeks to cut “the fat” from the department.

The job eliminations come after several crashes, including the midair collision that occurred in late January near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the accident that occurred last week at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. When asked about the recent firings of Transportation Department employees, Duffy contended that 352 out of 46,000 Federal Aviation Administration employees were dismissed, equating to just 0.8% of FAA’s employment.

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