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…