California Governor Gavin Newsom has delivered a sharp, visual rebuttal to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's campaign urging airline passengers to dress better for air travel. The political spat, unfolding over social media and press conferences, has sparked a widespread debate about the true meaning of civility at 30,000 feet.
The Call for a 'Golden Age' of Travel
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ignited the controversy by promoting a new "civility" campaign on Fox Business. He suggested that a return to a more formal era of travel attire could improve the overall passenger experience. "Sometimes you just have to ask people, 'Hey, let's go back to an era where we didn't wear our pajamas to the airport. We actually might dress up a little bit,'" Duffy stated.
In a social media post on November 20, 2025, Duffy doubled down, writing, "The Golden Age of Travel starts with ALL OF US. Let's be merry this holiday season as we fly! Dress up to go to the airport, help a stranger out, and be in a good mood. We can bring civility back, it's as easy as that!" At a press conference that Monday, he reiterated his plea, urging passengers to wear "a pair of jeans and a decent shirt" and to avoid slippers and pajamas.
Online Backlash and Political Mockery
Duffy's sartorial advice was met with immediate and widespread mockery online. Many users pointed out the perceived hypocrisy, linking his call for civility to the often-uncivil rhetoric of his boss, former President Donald Trump. One user highlighted this contradiction, noting Trump's recent insult directed at a reporter.
Other critics argued that the focus on clothing misses more pressing issues within the airline industry. A common sentiment was that civility is a two-way street. One user responded, "Tell ya what, we'll go back to wearing nice clothes when you don't pack us in like sardines and go back to providing us with meals, pillows and blankets again." This comment underscored a feeling among travellers that the degradation of the flying experience is not solely their responsibility.
Newsom's Gnarly and Effective Rebuttal
Enter California's Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom. Rather than issuing a lengthy statement, his press office responded with a single, powerful image. The post featured a photograph of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. walking down the aisle of a plane.
The picture, first shared in 2023, showed the now-Trump official dressed casually but, notably, without any shoes or footwear, exposing his bare feet to fellow passengers. This visual retort directly challenged the premise of Duffy's campaign, suggesting that a lack of civility could be found at the highest levels of the administration advocating for it.
The incident had been previously addressed by RFK Jr. in a TMZ clip from 2023, where he called his own behaviour "inexcusable" just before the camera panned to show his bare feet touching the airport floor. By resurfacing this image, Newsom's team masterfully shifted the conversation from passenger pajamas to official conduct.
The exchange highlights a deepening cultural and political divide over travel etiquette, personal freedom, and the priorities of those in power. As the holiday travel season approaches, the debate over what truly makes a civil flight—better-dressed passengers or a better-managed airline system—is far from settled.
