TSA Administrator David Pekoske, who was expected to lead the Department of Homeland Security until South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was confirmed as DHS Secretary, has been fired by the new Trump administration.
Pekoske had been nominated to head TSA June 2017, and the Senate confirmed him in August 2017. He served a full five-year term, and was re-nominated by President Biden in 2022.
Under his tenure, TSA rolled out slower Analogic screening machines across airport security checkpoints as well as facial recognition scanners. He continued to kick the can down the road on REAL ID. And he advocated for increased pay for TSA screeners.
In 2023, TSA fully moved away from its old pay bands to align with the standard federal pay scale, providing significant salary increases to screeners – an average increase of 26% for existing employees, with some receiving as much as 40% more. This naturally made it easier to recruit and retain employees to staff checkpoints. Staffing shortages did improve at many airports (which may have happened anyway as post-pandemic hiring challenges abated) and security processing improved in places not called Denver, Atlanta or Austin.
Here is Administrator Pekoske’s message to agency employees on his ouster.
MORE: Here is the message David Pekoske sent to TSA employees only 20 minutes before his firing took effect.
"This morning, I was advised by President-elect Trump's transition team that my time as your Administrator will end at noon ET today." pic.twitter.com/ZOn3GktRq0
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) January 20, 2025
Most recently, Pekoske did American Airlines and Southwest Airlines bidding to impose higher costs on Part 380 carriers flying out of private terminals. Former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker had lobbied Pekoske to shut down better customer experience, and while the agency didn’t go as far as American would have liked, they’re going to impose liquid bans and additional screening queues for flights sold by the seat from FBOs.
So, who is acting secretary of Homeland Security?
This is why the US should have a parliamentary-style shadow cabinet where the secretaries are in place before the actual changeover in government.
@FNT Delta: I’m sure that the Mango Mussolini will sell the position to the highest bidder after a brown-nosing (or orange-nosing as the case may be) session – either prostrate on kneeling – before the Orange Hitler at Mar-a-Loco
Good – only the tip of the iceberg in draining the swamp and doing away with the deep state.
If you’re a rich shareholder with a lot of unrealized gains, buying your way into a government position requiring divestment or diversification due to conflict of interest concerns to meet OGE concerns means you can get liquidity and legally avoid a huge amount of taxes.
No wonder a lot of wealthy people are sticking money into gross Trump’s g-string. Trump doesn’t even need to strip and they will kiss up to him in hopes of a big tax benefit.
Trump is the patron saint of corruption.
@FNT Delta Diamond
There is no “acting secretary of Homeland Security” because Noem was confirmed. She’s the actual DHS Secretary as of today.
@AC “draining the swamp…”
into Trump’s wallet.
The adults are back in charge.
People who know what a man and woman is.
People who know that people who come here illegally are illegals.
It’s time to remake this country from it’s very foundation. If you’re not on board then get out of the way or get run over.
@Neal Z
You belong in jail.
@AndyS
Now that Daddy’s back, I must say… you are the Greatest commenter of all time. You fixed everything… on ‘day one!’ No more ‘DEI’ or ‘woke’ or pesky regulations. You were ‘right about everything’. Thank you for rescuing VFTW from us evil leftists—we just wanted to eat babies in pizza parlors, and you stopped us. You won. Bigly and Big League. Forever and ever. Praise be to you, dear patriot!
If nothing else, perhaps President Trump will shut down the TSA. It’s nice to see Pekoske fired – this should have been the fate of every one of his predecessors. Return airport security to airlines and airports.
Can we finally get rid of the Security Theater and start profiling for actual air-travel threats?
I heard that the local D.C. Knee Bending School has been overbooked since the 1st Tuesday of last November.
@NealZ…what are you like 12 yrs old or something….go back to your mommy s basement and stay there until we call you back out. Let the grown folks have a conversation
I guess Noem won’t be bringing her dog to the swearing-in ceremony…
This explains why the lines have become consistently moving and never excessive as they were in the past, even with the crowds this past summer and Thanksgiving. And PreCheck is a breeze.
Job well done Trump appointee Mr. Pekoske.
Of course the current administration does not reward competency and meritocracy, only building their own swamp with yes people. Pekoske’s sin was to work for Biden.
@ Gary — The crook is back in charge. Give the US economy about 18 months before its usual Republican-led collapse, followed by sharply lower interest rates, handouts to the wealthy under the guise of helping the job market, and further ballooning of the wealth gap. It is so predictable. It is such a sad day for our country, but we will survive.
I have little doubt that there is a deep state and that deep state is its own political party. I even see it at the municipal level where the city council is unaware of some issues and are heavily dependent on biased city staff (civil servants). Once, I even corrected a proposed ordinance because the city council was clueless. I said “is this scenario what you really want?” No, they didn’t want it so they listened to me. However, usually city staff bullies its way and is very deceptive in their comments.
At least the nation now has no issue defining what a whiner is.
I could care less about people’s politics, but I do care when ignorant comments by posters like @Your Majesty are left unchallenged. Kristi Noem has NOT been confirmed as DHS Secretary. That is simply false. So, yes, an acting DHS Secretary must do the work. Stop spreading misinformation.
@AndyS
You seem to be a great believer in free speech, like your cult leader
The economy will recover from the Biden bust.
As always the Dems destroy the reps fix.
Also happy the j6 Patriots got justice today.
The killer of Ashley babbit still remains free however.
@Neal Z @Gene – come on, grow up and stick to the actual crux of the conversation. Do better. Instead of complaining about behavior, be the example you want others to follow.
Oh! Oh! I have a ‘great’ idea! For ‘deregulation’ purposes, abolish ATC, FAA, TSA, and all ‘government’, and let the ‘free market’ decide when and where aircraft fly, like God intended. All hail our glorious forever-king! 47!!
@ AndyS — Only the lowest scum of the earth could support a man that pardons people who commit violent crimes against our country. They and the German Nazis are one and the same, and I hope they suffer the same fate.
4 years of leftist tears and outrage over every little decision, after they were silent for 4 years of complete incompetence and lies. Delicious.
Chop your wieners and boobs off in defiance of the inauguration. That’ll show those fascists.
Finally, @Mantis is liberated! No longer will you have to couch your words, sir. Sad that you had to hold back this whole time. Not anymore. Free at last!
@JG Sharpen your machetes! What names will you call your political foes this time? Cockroaches? Vermin? ‘Let the hate flow through you!’ Good, good.
Division is what our enemies crave and is what MAGA delivers. Will they ever realize they are aiding and abetting our enemies?
@ Victor — MAGA IS the enemy.
@ Mantis — You are so stupid that you can’t even see that you’ve been played by Satan himself. How can anyone applaud the release of treasonists against their own country? This is not a joke or name calling.This is fact. Pay attention to the consequence of your vote.
Sadly, this new clown Administration and the the Cult Lord’s followers in Congress won’t break up the DHS monstrosity created after 9/11. And as long as DHS remains, TSA will be a problem agency within it and a problem for passengers across the country (and even too many others around the world).
I don’t expect it but the TSA should be done away with. At least firing this moron that wants to put more and more flyers in PreCheck but not increase staffing or infrastructure. Typical government flunky.
Yet another bloated and over staffed governmental department. It was tagged “Thousands Standing Around” shortly after it was established and has only exponentially expanded since. I’ve never seen such a waste of manpower and reduced productivity. In addition to the massive check point “mill around” they have a worthless canine group that roams the airports departure gates in para miliary uniforms, armed and more often than not with 3 or 4 handlers for one dog. An immediate 50% in staffing would be a good start. The shortfall could in check points could easily be backfilled by getting all the hundreds sitting in cushy back-room office jobs on the front line working.
With Kristi Noem running the organization, expect to be shot at TSA if you misbehave. (like she did to her dog who misbehaved) Easier than doing paperwork to be on the no-fly list. LOL
“Good – only the tip of the iceberg in draining the swamp and doing away with the deep state.”
Administrator Pekoske was appointed by Donald Trump.
Some of the comments here appear to be from older gentlemen who are very unhappy that their ex-wives hired better divorce attorneys.
Another incompetent Deep State hack who made things FAR WORSE for tens of millions of American travelers.
The return of merit, with accountability and transparency.
Winning is beautiful. Will wait for the snow flake tears (defending incompetence) to flow on this blog.
@Gene
Na libs like you, 1990 and GUWonder are the enemy and deserve cancer.
@AndyS
SO DO YOU BRU!!
@AndyS. Your comment above about wishing cancer on other members of this forum is despicable. The rest of us should demand your removal and the removal of this remark (and any other similar remarks). We can disagree about the political situation here (but only to the extent it relates to travel) but making comments such that you made are totally unacceptable in any forum. Gary needs to monitor these conversations and remove remarks such are yours.
Chaos every day. That’s the point. Trump thrives on chaos.
Sadly, we are now 5 days in and President Trump still has not shut down this despicable agency. At the top of the DOGE list for elimination should be TSA.