Trump transportation secretary says public is looking at DOGE layoffs the 'wrong way' during Philly shipyard visit with McCormick

Fallon Roth, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Apr 28, 2025

Published in News & Features

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PHILADELPHIA — As President Donald Trump faces backlash over federal layoffs, one of his Cabinet secretaries argued in Philadelphia on Monday that opponents are looking at the issue “the wrong way.”

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the federal cuts spurred by the Department of Government Efficiency during a visit to the Hanwha Philly Shipyard as Trump prepares to mark 100 days in office this week.

“Efficiency, looking at those who might lose their job, actually, that’s the wrong way to look at it,” Duffy said. “You got to look at it as actually there’s going to be more money flowing into the great projects that your state talks to (me) about all the time.”

Duffy made these remarks during a news conference with Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., after the pair toured Hanwha’s facility, which is in need of more room and workers.

Standing in front of the State of Maine ship, Duffy and McCormick fielded questions on American manufacturing, tariffs and DOGE, which is led by Trump billionaire adviser Elon Musk and responsible for thousands of layoffs in the federal workforce.

The transportation secretary said Monday that the money relieved from layoffs is “not flushed down a toilet,” and could be reallocated toward building more roads, bridges, and rail projects. As of mid-March, 788 probationary employees across the Department of Transportation (about 1.4% of the department’s workforce) had been fired since the beginning of the Trump administration.

McCormick echoed some of his previous remarks about DOGE, stating that he believes it’s “absolutely necessary” but the commission’s rapid pace will inevitably cause mistakes that must be corrected.

For example, the Republican senator said he’s been in touch with Musk on several instances, including one when DOGE accidentally cut bird flu experts at the Department of Agriculture, but McCormick said DOGE made a “quick turn” to fix it.

The two Republicans also discussed other Trump policies that have drawn controversy, including the president’s reciprocal tariffs.

Duffy said that “trade is unfair” and that Trump’s tariffs on countries are part of a “rebalancing” for what Trump and allies believe to be the U.S. being treated unfairly on the world stage.

Currently, the U.S. has imposed a 145% tariff on all goods from China, a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada on certain goods, and a 10% tariff on many other trading partners for 90 days, USA Today reported.

“Will it be a little bit disruptive in the short run? Sure,” Duffy said, “But in the long run, making products here, manufacturing jobs here, American workers here, I think is critical to the president’s philosophy around the tariff strategy.”

Several Pennsylvania businesses have expressed concern over Trump’s tariffs, including Mack Trucks in the Lehigh Valley, which said it will be laying off hundreds of workers because of the tariffs and economic uncertainty.

McCormick said Monday that he has not yet spoken with Mack, but acknowledged that tariffs are causing some uncertainty and he spoke with Trump about negotiating some key deals to “give everybody a sense of where this is headed.”

“We’re in the middle of negotiations, and we’re in a strong position because we’re the most significant, largest, most dynamic economy,” McCormick said.

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