A heated clash erupted Tuesday between Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, as the two sparred over the safety of New York City’s subway system and turned a routine budget hearing into a high-profile political showdown.
The hearing, intended to review the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal 2026 transportation budget, quickly turned confrontational as Nadler accused Duffy of exaggerating subway crime and undermining public confidence in mass transit.
“Many of your statements misrepresent the facts and ignore documentation already provided to your department,” Nadler said, citing NYPD data showing that major subway crimes are down 3% from last year and 8% since 2019. “Our subways are safe.”
Exchange between @RepJerryNadler and @SecDuffy on NYC Subway safety
Nadler: “Why do you continue ignore this and lie about this…?”
Duffy: “Why do you continue to lie about people being lit on fire in subways or pushed in front of trains?”
Nadler: “Our subways are safe.” pic.twitter.com/BnOtJoQHHf
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 16, 2025
But Duffy rejected Nadler’s claims and continued criticizing the city’s transit safety. “Assaults in the New York subway system are up over 60% since 2019,” he said. “You’re trying to convince New Yorkers not to believe their own eyes as people are beaten, pushed in front of trains, or even lit on fire. Enough with the lies.”
Duffy’s remarks referenced a series of high-profile attacks on the subway, including a December 2024 incident in which 57-year-old Debrina Kawam of Toms River, New Jersey, was fatally set on fire while sleeping on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station. The NYPD said the suspect, 33-year-old Sebastian Zapeta, an undocumented Guatemalan national, has been charged with first-degree and second-degree murder, along with first-degree arson.
The case has fueled criticism from conservatives, including Duffy and Trump allies, who have linked rising transit crime to broader immigration and public safety concerns.
Tensions between Duffy and Nadler boiled over as the two accused each other of lying during the hearing.
“Why do you continue to lie about New York City?” Nadler asked.
“Don’t call me a liar here; you’re the one ignoring the real danger people face every day,” Duffy snapped back.
They also sparred over congestion pricing, with Nadler accusing the administration of rescinding an approved toll plan for political reasons.
Duffy defended the move, arguing, “This is the only place in the country where people are charged $9 just to access the center of a city. This isn’t about the environment, it’s about punishing commuters.”
The fight spilled onto social media after the hearing.
The same guy who called to defund the police and said Antifa was a hoax is now trying to convince New Yorkers not to believe their eyes as people are beaten up and burned on subways
Assaults are up over 60% since 2019. Enough with the lies. https://t.co/duwRYX0Eyw
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 16, 2025
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Nadler criticized both Duffy and President Donald Trump, who earlier had called the Epstein investigation a “hoax,” saying, “Between @SecDuffy calling NYPD crime statistics ‘lies’ and Donald Trump dismissing the Epstein Files as a ‘hoax’ this morning, the Trump administration is once again showing the American people just how little regard it has for the truth.”
Duffy responded: “The same guy who called to defund the police and said antifa was a hoax is now trying to convince New Yorkers everything’s fine as they’re beaten up and burned on subways.”