Kristi Noem, the former Homeland Security Secretary, publicly criticized her successor Markwayne Mullin's performance during a news conference about a nationwide ground stop on Friday. Mullin and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy provided unclear and contradictory explanations regarding the incident, which left many questions unanswered. The FAA lifted the ground stop after more than four hours, but travel delays and cancellations continued into the weekend. Noem expressed disappointment in the messaging and concluded her remarks with a prayer for the nation.
Key facts
- Kristi Noem criticized Markwayne Mullin's news conference on November 14, 2026.
- Mullin and Duffy provided vague explanations about a telecommunications outage.
- The FAA lifted the ground stop at 8:15 p.m. on Friday.
- Travel disruptions continued into Saturday following the ground stop.
- Duffy requested $50 billion in funding from Congress.
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