Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York got into a fiery exchange with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday over the safety of New York City subways during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing.
The purpose of the hearing was to address President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the Transportation Department, but it quickly devolved into a one-on-one battle.
Nadler, whose district includes parts of New York City, accused Duffy of misrepresenting crime statistics when it came to violence in the subway system.
“Secretary Duffy, as recently as last week, you again attacked the MTA, claiming that there’s a surge in subway assaults and accusing the agency of withholding information,” Nadler said.
“But many of your statements misrepresent the facts and ignore documentation already provided to your department,” he continued. “I want to address some of those claims directly. First, are you aware that major crime in the transit system, including assaults, is down 3 percent since last year and down 8 percent since 2019?”
Duffy replied, “No, that’s wrong. The assaults that we’ve seen are up 60 percent… since 2019.”
“Why do you continue to ignore this and lie about this?” Nadler asked. Duffy shot back, “Why do you continue to lie about people being lit on fire in subways or pushed in front of trains? You should be fighting to make sure your subways are safe.”
“Our subways are safe,” Nadler claimed.
Anyone who has been to New York City, or followed the news of criminal activity on those trains, knows that is simply not true.
Should the federal government step in to quell violent crime in big cities?
They’re havens for the homeless and mentally ill, have riders who act criminally toward peaceful passengers, stink of decay, and are downright dangerous.
Despite opposition, Duffy continually denied Nadler’s rosy assessment of city transportation.
Nadler — likely knowing he was fighting a losing battle — pivoted to environmental concerns, asking Duffy about congestion traffic patterns while accusing him of denying the existence of a report on the subject.
The New York Democrat was citing a newly implemented toll for vehicles entering the city south of 60th Street to reduce traffic, fueled mostly by far-left lawmakers in the name of environmentalism.
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
Trump and Duffy have actively worked to revoke federal approval of the plan.
“I believe everyone has a right to use our roads,” Duffy explained. Yet Nadler kept at it, asking if Duffy had a precedent for such opposition. While he tried to answer, Nadler asked why he continues to “lie about New York City.”
“You’re lying! Don’t call me a liar here,” Duffy immediately responded.
Nadler then said: “I’m calling you a liar because you’ve lied continually.”
Duffy then criticized the $9 fee for drivers to access Manhattan and said it “doesn’t exist anywhere else,” adding, “If you’re going to force people into a subway, make sure it’s safe.”
Democrats commonly downplay violent crime, specifically in big blue cities, where sanctuary policies on immigration — and soft-on-crime prosecutors — rule over everyday life.
Even The New York Times had to highlight how bad things have gotten in the subways with a March article that cited some shocking statistics.
“In 2023, for the first time in nearly two decades, the number of felony assaults in the subway system was greater than the number of robberies, according to an analysis of crime statistics by Vital City,” the article read. “The change signals a rise in impulsive violence and a move away from crimes motivated by monetary gain.”
The National Guard even had to be deployed into the subway system in 2024 for increased security.
Nadler can bend and twist statistics any way he likes. But calling that city’s subway system safe with a straight face is making a mockery of residents and saying they do not care very much about their personal safety.
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