After Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke out about air travel etiquette and not wearing pajamas or taking your shoes off on an airplane, California Governor Gavin Newsom called him out by reminding him of the time then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—now the Health and Human Services Secretary—walked around on a plane barefoot.
Duffy recently appeared at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, to discuss his efforts to “restore courtesy and class to air travel” by arguing that people taking more pride in their appearance on flights.
He said:
"I think it’s important as we travel that we think about not just ourselves, not just our families, but we think about those who are around us."
“Maybe we should say please and thank you to our pilots and to our flight attendants. Dressing with respect – whether it’s a pair of jeans and a decent shirt, I would encourage people to maybe dress a little better, which encourages us to maybe behave a little better. Let’s try not to wear slippers and pajamas as we come to the airport.”
“Let’s all travel better together. Don’t take your shoes off and put your feet on... the chair ahead of you. Maybe don’t play your movie without headphones on. Just some simple things that can annoy the folks around you... We don’t have to do that. Just be cognizant and courteous."
You can hear Duffy's remarks in the video below.
But Newsom was quick to point out that maybe Kennedy should be made aware of this dress code so the Trump administration can get on the same page before demanding it of the American people.
Conservative commentator Justin Haskins, who happened to be seated behind Kennedy in first class during a flight from Portland to Dallas in 2023, documented the incident on the In The Tank podcast, shared on YouTube.
Haskins, working for the climate-denial-focused Heartland Institute, explained that he was initially seeking a routine photo of Kennedy for an upcoming appearance on Glenn Beck's show. However, an impromptu opportunity presented itself when Kennedy walked to the bathroom without shoes or socks.
He recounted that "RFK gets up and he goes to the bathroom and as he’s walking to the bathroom and I realize the guy has no shoes on and no socks." He said the floor was "covered with food and it’s like disgusting food," adding that he "goes into the restroom sockless and shoeless, something I’ve literally never seen in my entire life out of all the times I’ve been on planes."
The picture of a barefoot Kennedy can be seen below.
@GovPressOffice/X
People were grossed out... and also had their own thoughts about Duffy's request.
But sure Sean, we'll get right on that.
@WhiteHouse/X
@HomelandSecurityDems
