One of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's daughters said she experienced an ''absurdly invasive'' pat-down Thursday at an airport security checkpoint and suggested her father would limit or eliminate the Transportation Security Administration if it was under his authority.
Evita Duffy-Alfonso said on the social platform X that she nearly missed her flight after opting out of a body scan because she said she is pregnant and concerned about radiation exposure. She said she waited 15 minutes for a pat-down and that TSA agents were ''rude'' and ''tried to pressure" her into walking through the scanner.
''All this for an unconstitutional agency that isn't even good at its job,'' she said.
TSA said in a statement Friday it is aware of Duffy-Alfonso's complaint.
''TSA takes complaints about airport security screening procedures seriously and investigates complaints thoroughly to ensure the correct procedures are applied,'' the agency said.
In another post, Duffy-Alfonso said her father would ''radically limit'' or ''lobby Congress to abolish'' TSA if it was under his control.
Duffy's Department of Transportation controls the Federal Aviation Administration and is charged with setting and enforcing safety regulations for all major modes of transportation, including air travel. But TSA is part of the Department of Homeland Security.
TSA is responsible for screening passengers, bags and cargo for weapons or explosives. It was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
