California Governor Gavin Newsom has launched a stinging attack on the Trump administration's new air travel 'civility' campaign, using a notorious photograph of a barefoot cabinet member to ridicule calls for passengers to dress more smartly.
Transportation Secretary's Call for Airport Civility
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, a former professional lumberjack, appeared at Newark International Airport in New Jersey on Monday to launch his initiative aimed at restoring courtesy and class to air travel. Duffy argued that passengers taking more pride in their appearance would create a better atmosphere onboard flights.
"I think it's important as we travel that we think about not just ourselves, not just our families, but we think about those who are around us," Duffy stated. "Maybe we should say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants. Dressing with respect - whether it's a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better."
The transportation secretary specifically cautioned against wearing slippers and pyjamas to airports and asked passengers to refrain from removing shoes or placing feet on adjacent seats. He also urged travellers to avoid playing media without headphones and to keep political arguments for after their journeys.
Newsom's Swift Social Media Response
Governor Newsom wasted no time in mocking Duffy's proposals, taking to his official Gavin Newsom Press Office account on X to post the now-infamous photograph of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr walking barefoot down a plane aisle in jeans and a T-shirt.
The image, which first surfaced in November 2023, had previously raised questions about the vaccine sceptic's commitment to hygiene. Newsom accompanied the reposted photograph with a dismayed emoji, highlighting what many saw as hypocrisy within the administration's position.
This attack represents the latest offering from Newsom's dedicated trolling account, which the Democratic governor has used throughout the year to target President Donald Trump and his administration through frequently viral memes exposing MAGA movement rhetoric.
Public Reaction and Further Revelations
The social media post attracted immediate and lively responses from X users. Political pundit Keith Olbermann joked in defence of RFK Jr's transgression: "Hey, relax, at least he's wearing pants."
Other users expressed more visceral reactions, with one commenting: "Oh God, if he just walked out of the Lavatory, I'm gonna be sick," reflecting widespread feelings of nausea in response to the barefoot image.
The controversy deepened as users uncovered additional compromising photographs, including another image of Kennedy without shoes in an airport departure lounge, shots of Duffy goofing around in underwear and socks from his reality television past, and a picture of South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace posing in pyjamas at an airport.
Critics noted that Duffy's campaign failed to address numerous factors that contribute to passenger misery during air travel, including late departures, lost luggage, cramped seating, and poor quality food - all issues that understandably prompt travellers to prioritise comfort over style during their journeys.
